Defiance out of Love
by UnderneathXtheXunderneath
Summary: canon-verse AU. "My name is Shisui. From now on, Kanae-chan, I'll be your nii-san. I will protect you with all I have. I'll be here whenever you need me. I promise." They say that babies can tell if a person is truly kind. But when kindness and love are the most dangerous weaknesses a man can possess, what is left to be judged in his favor? Rated M for violence.
1. The Promise

**Disclaimer:** No, I don't own Naruto. Wouldn't be here if I did, would I?

* * *

Chapter 1

Heaven was weeping on this unusually cold February day. It had been weeping for nearly a week straight.

Uchiha Shisui glanced out of his bedroom window and up into the cloudy gray sky of Konoha. Rain was pouring down like a heavy curtain, the masses of water violently clashing with the surface of the earth. The sound was deafening, a monotonous rhythm that spread over the empty streets like a numbing blanket.

Not a single soul could be seen. The Uchiha district was quietly drowning, its inhabitants hidden inside their houses and enveloped in the comfort of their own small worlds. It was a time for families to bond and to pray for the loved ones who were not with them. In moments like this, shinobi lucky enough to have a family truly realized the importance of a home to return to, of people waiting and loving.

It was exactly those same moments that made the burden of loneliness for other shinobi grow heavier, almost suffocating to bear. But the lonely ones endured. And wasn't the life of a shinobi nothing else but the epitome of endurance?

Shisui sat up in his bed and rubbed his slightly reddened and puffy eyes. He hadn't gotten more than a couple of hours of sleep and although he was tired to the bones he was unable to sleep any longer. He felt restless ever since he had returned from his mission the evening before, the uneasy feeling a tight knot in his stomach which refused to go away. Not even meditating had helped.

He swung his legs from under the cover of his blanket and made his way to the bathroom.

The house was eerily quiet in the hours of the early morning. The hallway was cold and dark as Shisui stepped into it, barefooted and clad in his pajamas. He couldn't remember the last time his home had felt alive, the last time he had seen his grandfather emerging from the bedroom at the end of the hallway, the last time somebody had actually used the front door. It was always the window of his bedroom now, a swift exit and entry without anyone noticing since it opened to the backyard. Had he had visitors it might have been different, but as it was he was mostly alone.

He had done a very thorough job on securing that. He preferred to be able to choose his company and eventually seek it out on his own terms, so it wouldn't do if just about anyone who happened to think of imposing himself upon him would march through his front door. And imposing his clan could be indeed.

He slid out of his pajamas, simple gray shorts and an old dark blue shirt adorned with the Uchiha fan on its back, and stepped into the shower. The hot water poured over him, washing away the tiredness and soothing the gloomy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He could feel his tense muscles relax as the steam rose around him, filling the little cabin and condensing on the glass.

He didn't allow himself to indulge long in it, though. He hoped to see someone before he made his way to the hospital to visit his grandfather.

Ten minutes later he was dressed in the standard Uchiha ensemble, a dark high-collared shirt and dark pants completed with bandages wrapped around his ankles and dark standard shinobi sandals. He put on the harness for his tanto and secured the weapon there before adding a kunai holster to his right thigh. He had realized long ago that he felt safest when he was in his full shinobi gear. He wasn't sure if he even owned casual clothes. Finally, he took his forehead protector from the nightstand beside his bed.

Shisui smiled sadly as he held the piece of cloth with the metal plate in his hand. The leaf insignia glinted in the weak light of his room. It held so much meaning for him.

'_As an Uchiha, the family, the clan should always be on the forefront of your mind when making any decision. Think about how your actions might reflect on the clan. Will it bring honor to the Uchiha name? For as a member of our clan, everything you do as an individual immediately falls back on the clan as a whole. There is no exception._

'_But at the same time, remember that the Uchiha are part of the village. Konoha might be weaker without the Uchiha, but the Uchiha are nothing without Konoha. The village is everything. It is the place our loved ones are born in, live in, and share the most precious moments of their lives with us. It is the place that gives us a purpose to fight, for we never fight more ferocious than when we want to protect the ones we love. It is the place that allows peace to blossom, peace being the one single thing we all should strive to protect and maintain at all costs. Konoha … is what makes us shinobi. Always remember that, Shisui. Always.'_

He could hear the deep vibrating voice of his grandfather just like he had on the day he had received his headband. He had listened with wide eyes and confused questions whirling in his young genius mind, tumbling over the set foundations of his beliefs and warping its cornerstones.

The Uchiha were proud people. They drew as much power from their doujutsu as directly from the conviction that they were superior. The clan was the core of their identity. Uchiha did not exist without the clan. It made them different from the rest of the village. It made them stronger. It made them better.

It was to be protected at all costs, even if it meant the neglect of village duties. Every Uchiha knew that.

Thus, Shisui was shaken when his grandfather contradicted all of it, telling him to prioritize the village over the clan. Tendrils of apprehension had gripped his heart, prying it open to the world outside the confines of his clan and slowly opening his eyes to a truth his clansmen were too narrow-minded to perceive.

But he had begun to see. With every passing day, every mission he spent as a shinobi of the Leaf and every bond made outside of his clan he could see clearer. It was like stepping from behind tanned glass and realizing that the true colors of his surroundings were brilliant, as crystal as the realization that he was a shinobi first, a clan member second.

With it came the understanding that he was alone in his belief.

He closed his fingers around the hitai-ate and fastened it around his forehead. With a last quick glance over his bedroom he exited through his window.

He still had a couple of hours before the hospital opened its doors for visitors and he wanted to check on his younger cousin and maybe train a bit before he went to sit at the bedside of his grandfather. He made his way over to the main house, easily hopping from roof to roof. For any onlooker he might appear as nothing but a blur of dark blue, an ink-blotch on the canvas of the gray rain. Shisui was nothing if not fast.

He arrived on the roof of the main house sixteen seconds after exiting his window and let himself gracefully fall over in front of Itachi's window, sticking to the overhanging just by his feet. He gazed through the glass only to find his cousin's bedroom empty.

He cut the chakra flow to his feet, flipped his body mid-air and landed safely on the ground. Stretching his senses he tried to feel for Itachi's signature inside the building. He found little Sasuke, soundly asleep in his bed, Mikoto, already on her way from the bathroom to the kitchen, and Fugaku in his office. But there was no trace of Itachi.

Shisui frowned. Why was a five-year-old not in his home at six in the morning? He hoped that his little cousin was not outside in this weather and decided to go looking for him. Somebody had to do the job if his parents were not. He suspected that little Itachi had slipped their watch. Again. He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips.

After unsuccessfully scouting the whole district he went for the spot in the forest that Itachi had taken a liking to for target practice. He sped past trees with low hanging branches and bushes following a path that led straight to a clearing. His feet made squishy sounds on the muddy ground and the soaked grass. As he approached the clearing, Shisui could see the targets sticking to the bark of various trees and make out the faint smell of smoke despite the rain. However, Itachi wasn't here.

Shisui scrunched his nose in annoyance. He was fed up with the fruitless chase and had half a mind to leave his cousin to his own devices and just head out for the hospital already, visiting hours be damned. He was a shinobi, he could sneak in whenever he wanted.

But a part of his mind chose to point out that he really should take on the responsibility and continue looking. Itachi was five, for heaven's sake, and he was out and alone in the streaming rain. The same part conveniently forgot that he himself was only ten years old and that mentioned kid had parents who ought to be looking after him.

He sighed. Fights with himself led nowhere. Besides, the funny feeling in his stomach was back.

He tried to think of a place where Itachi might have gone.

The academy? Maybe. But today was Sunday, the academy would be closed and deserted.

The training grounds? Kami, there were fifty of them! And besides, the Uchiha had their own. Itachi had no reason to go to the public ones.

Any public place?

A sudden idea struck him and without a second thought he turned around and sped away from the clearing.

Shisui was surprised when he actually found Itachi. The memorial stone had been a wild guess but there he was, the tiny figure huddled in a sitting position, face turned towards the polished surface of the slab of marble which was covered with names upon names of fallen shinobi. Shisui wondered why he had chosen this of all places.

He marched over to the child and flopped down next to him.

"Oi 'Tachi-chan, you're really hard to find these days. What are you doing here out in the rain? You could catch a bad cold, you know?" Indeed, the kid was soaking wet, his raven hair plastered to his head and hanging down in limp strands.

Itachi slowly turned his head to face his cousin and tilted it in an acknowledging nod. Shisui noted the tired lines on his face, disturbingly distinct like the stress marks of men four times his age. Lines like that didn't belong on the face of a five-year-old.

"Shisui." The childish voice was still a little hoarse, indicating that he had just muttered his first word of the day. "I did not expect anyone to find me here."

Shisui snorted. "Of course not. I bet your parents don't even know that you're awake, yet."

"Probably not."

And just like that, Itachi turned his head back to face the memorial stone again.

Shisui had realized that Itachi was a very quiet child right from the moment they had met nearly three years ago. He had been officially presented to the clan as their heir in a ceremony that had required the presence of every adult clan member, including his grandfather. Shisui had tagged along because he was curious of his cousin.

Immediately after setting eyes on Itachi, he had decided that the kid was improbably perceptive and mentally far too advanced to be categorized as a child barely out of his toddler stage. Shisui had never reversed his opinion.

The air of silence and sobriety surrounded Itachi like a bubble that separated him from the rest of the world. He had always been like this and Shisui remembered only one time where this aura had wavered, shaken by the terrors of the Third Shinobi War. A war that had changed the way the eyes of a child, barely four years of age, viewed the world. It had changed his own view, too. He had been nine years old then.

The silence spread between the two children, the nourishing ground on which the rain pattered without disturbance. The difference of water hitting hair, skin, cloth and ground were the only sounds that gave their presence away.

After a while, Shisui stood up. Stretching his legs he said: "You should go home now. Seriously, if you stay a minute longer you'll get sick."

"I'm wearing a cloak."

"Yeah, still. Your parents will have realized your absence by now."

"What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

Shisui blinked. "Huh?"

"You didn't come looking for me just like that."

It wasn't a question. Shisui thought he could catch a hint of annoyance in his cousin's voice. He smirked. Clever kid.

"What? Can't I just want to have a nice chat with my little 'Tachi-chan? I just came back from a mission yesterday night." Then, he added with a cheeky grin: "Did you miss your favorite cousin?"

To his mild surprise, a small smile tugged at the corners of Itachi's mouth and a warm shine entered his eyes. Suddenly he looked so much younger.

"Yes. You were gone for two weeks."

Shisui's grin widened. He loved the moments when Itachi came out of his serious shell. "Aw, 'Tachi-chan, I'm touched! Did you count the days for my return?"

His cousin chuckled. "Don't get ahead of yourself. You missed our training."

Shisui pouted at that, but on the inside he felt the warmth of joy encasing his body and soul. He knew that this was the closest to a declaration of affection he would get from the aloof child that he thought of like a little brother. He felt responsible for Itachi, wanted to protect him and show him that the world, as flawed as it was, was still a place worth living for. He deserved a break from his heavy duties as clan heir from time to time which clearly was not in the schedule his parents had bestowed upon him since the moment he was born.

So his answer, while still pouting, held a playful note. "Oi! That was mean, 'Tachi-chan."

Faint smile still on his lips, Itachi quirked an eyebrow. "Anyway, how did you know where to find me?"

"I didn't actually. Just a feeling, I guess." he shrugged. "So why are you here?"

He eyed his cousin carefully as Itachi's face grew serious again. But his dark onyx eyes didn't close off like they normally did and Shisui instinctively knew that Itachi had never before told anybody what he was going to tell him now. He was instantly alert.

But Itachi hesitated. He had stilled completely and the silence began to stretch. Shisui felt him slip away like the fleeting impression of a butterfly's wing brushing his cheek and he suddenly had the urge to reach for him with his hands, to grip him and make him confide. He wanted to wipe the deeply troubled look off Itachi's face, wanted to show him that he could be trusted. So he raised his hand and reached out.

Inches before his palm met the boy's shoulder, he began to speak.

"What is it that makes us shinobi?" His voice was only slightly stronger than a whisper. He seemed to be in a faraway place. "We are tools for our village. We're born and raised to be fighters. We kill when we are ordered to. We are nothing but empty vessels, filled with the beliefs our superiors feed us and trained to obey without second thoughts. Is it our ability to fight? To kill without remorse?"

He paused and let his gaze wander over the countless names on the cenotaph.

"All these names … They belonged to people once. Living, breathing people. They died for the village. Some of their corpses came back and were buried. But most of them have simply disappeared from the face of the earth, silently and without real notice. They knew there was a possibility that their deaths could be in the shadows, maybe even pointless. They knew they would be sent out to kill and maybe even get killed. But still they went. They chose to be shinobi. Why?"

Shisui could see the confusion in his eyes. Scenes of death, mindless slaughter and grief flashed in front of his inner eye, pictures of silent assassinations and gory battlefields, bodies on open streets and children, terrified and orphaned.

He had seen it all. The Third Shinobi War had robbed him of his innocence like it had so many other children who had been forced to grow up without being able to give their minds the time to mature with the sudden influx of horrors. They had all been swept away by the torrent of time, a whole generation lost to the crippling force of war.

But while the war had left at least the illusion of safety within the village, the Kyuubi attack from four months ago had taken even that. The harsh truth of their lives had been brutally punched into their faces: There was no safe place for a shinobi.

He understood Itachi's confusion, his need for answers. He could feel his desperation drowning him and leaving him dried out from the inside at the same time, eager for anything to fill the senseless void that was left behind. Itachi was so vulnerable now, in such a dangerous state of mind that he would suck up anything that promised the faintest semblance of stability.

Shisui was relieved that Itachi chose to reveal his vulnerability to him. It made him feel oddly proud. He would answer him as well as he could and share the wisdom that his grandfather had once imparted to him. For his grandfather had immediately understood their need for what it truly was – the yearning for peace.

"Look around you. What do you see?" His voice was soft, but he knew that Itachi could hear him.

He watched carefully as the boy let his gaze wander from the cenotaph over the forest to the now muddy and dull terrain of training ground seven, the blurry outlines of the village with the Hokage tower, the Hokage mountain and back to the cenotaph. He could see the cogs of his brain working, trying to come up with the reason why he was asked that particular question.

Itachi frowned slightly and looked his cousin directly in the eye, onyx meeting onyx, when he finally answered.

"I don't think you want me to describe the scenery to you since there is nothing out of the ordinary. What are you aiming at?"

Shisui held back a chuckle. His little cousin could be quite blunt when he was getting impatient.

"Well, since you're not going to tell me what you see, I'll just tell you what I see."

He waited a few seconds before he continued to heighten the suspense. He freely admitted to himself that he had a thing for drama – he was an Uchiha after all.

"When I look around whenever I'm in Konoha, I see home."

Itachi, clearly having expected more, raised an eyebrow. The corner of his mouth twitched minutely, the only sign of his annoyance.

Shisui smirked but quickly got serious again. He remembered that he had a message to deliver.

"Tell me, Itachi. What does the word 'home' mean to you?"

Itachi remained silent for a long time. Just as Shisui thought that he would never answer, Itachi looked up to him again.

"I honestly don't know", he spoke softly, sounding lost and uncertain. "I know that people expect me to answer this question with 'the clan'. But I can't. 'Home' is supposed to be the place you can return to, where you feel safe and where you are loved unconditionally, isn't it? However … the clan does not meet all of these conditions."

Shisui understood instantly which exact condition was not fulfilled.

He felt protective tenderness for his cousin surging in his heart. Although he himself had never had parents or siblings, he had been lucky enough to be raised by his grandfather who had cared deeply for him. Just like Itachi, Shisui had never been able to associate the clan with the feeling of home and it was only thanks to his grandfather and later his genin team that he had gotten to know this concept at all.

"What you just said is true. Home is all that. However, there is one more thing that you should know about because it's actually the most important one.

"Home is not about a place. It's rather about people. The people that are close to you, that are more important to you than anything else. The people that you would do anything for, even if it costs you everything you have. Just one single person can be your home. It doesn't matter where this person is, as long as you feel comfortable around him or her, you can return to their side."

He hesitated briefly before he continued in a more subdued voice. "If the clan doesn't feel like home to you, I guess … I guess it's alright."

Itachi's eyes widened almost imperceptibly.

Shisui levelled his gaze at a faraway point behind the memorial stone and grimaced slightly.

"Actually, I feel the same. Don't get me wrong here, Itachi, I love the clan, I truly do. I'm proud to be an Uchiha and thank whoever is responsible every day for having the gifts that our clan offers bestowed upon me.

"But that doesn't mean that I cannot see the limitations the clan has placed on itself. Even though I know and can at least acknowledge most of the reasoning for them, some still prevent me from seeing the clan and subsequently their members as the most important people in my life. This feeling is something that I have struggled with for a long time and I want you to know that, although it makes us different from the rest of the clan, it's alright."

"But Konoha is home for you?" Itachi's voice was laced with confusion, his face set in a slight frown.

"Yes. My grandfather, my team and sensei – they are the most important people in my life. I would do anything to protect them, to prevent them from getting hurt.

"And, see, they have precious people, too. So if anybody hurt those, they would be hurt, too, which means I've got to protect them in order to protect my important people. They all live in Konoha, so it really seems prudent to protect the village at all costs. So, at least for me, that makes the whole of Konoha home – including you, by the way."

He sighed. "I know that sounds kinda … on a really grand scale and stuff. So you might not understand now, but I'm sure you will one day."

"Did these shinobi", Itachi pointed at the names on the marble, "feel the same?"

"I guess so. Scratch that, I'm pretty sure they did! And about the dying-pointless-thing: I guess that, in a way self-sacrifice …" Shisui struggled for words. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "My grandfather once told me, that a nameless shinobi who protects peace from within its shadow was the true mark of a shinobi. So no death is ever pointless, as long as the shinobi died in service of his village. Because the village is the entirety of all things worth protecting."

"Protecting peace from within its shadows …" Itachi's face was set in an intensively thoughtful expression as he muttered quietly for himself.

Belatedly, Shisui realized that everything he had just told Itachi was likely to clash at least in part with what they were taught to believe in the clan. The kid would get a serious headache mulling over the information. What was he thinking, anyway, telling a five-year-old stuff like that? And the clan heir, to top it off? He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and made his voice sound as light as possible.

"Huh, I guess I suck at explaining things like that. Don't think too much, you'll get early wrinkles like that." He held his hand out for his cousin. "I should take you home now. Your parents are probably throwing a fit."

Itachi nodded curtly and didn't even glace at the outstretched hand. He took off in the direction of their district in a blur. Shisui snorted and followed.

* * *

A lanky teenager stepped out of the shadow of the trees. He was clad in ANBU gear, silver-white hair sticking wildly from his head. His ANBU mask was attached to his hip, but his face was still covered by a cloth mask and his left eye was hidden beneath a crookedly set hitai-ate, effectively leaving one dark eye visible.

He had come to pay his respects for a dead medic-nin, a dead Hokage and a dead Uchiha and had instead found two children of the same clan, alive and deeply involved in a discussion about the appropriate reason to die.

Waves of bitter frustration rolled over him, washing away the cold numbness of the emotional void he had become. His fists clenched tightly at his side, he stiffly walked to the cenotaph.

What did those children know? What did they know about protecting people, protecting peace? It was easy to die. But what did they know about the crushing weight of utter failure? The suffocating guilt of being the survivor? Knowing that he lived, had lived while the ones he'd sworn to protect had died around him, and could change nothing because he was completely useless?

The teen was breathing heavily, chest rising and falling in a rapid pace, nails dug deep into his palms, drawing blood in the process. It dribbled off his hands, mingling with the rain water pouring from the leaden sky and disappeared in the muddy ground.

His sight was blurry, images swirling wildly as he continued walking until his foot hit the marble stone. He fell on his knees and pressed one hand against his lone visible eye.

Somewhere in the haze that were his newly awakened emotions a voice, eerily reminiscent of a blond man with gentle blue eyes, was trying to tell him to calm down. He strained his mind to listen to it, but there was that deafening roar of black guilt, screaming at him and lunging for his attention, grasping at the shreds of his sanity.

_hewassuchafailure –_

_hehadpromised –_

_ObitocrushedtherockhismangledbodynowhatareyoudoingwhydidyoupushMEaway –_

_Obito's eye -_

_Rinohmygodyourchestmyhandbloodburnedfleshtoodeepinyourchestyourheart –_

_youpromisedyoupromisedyoupromised –_

_YOUFAILED_

He couldn't shut the screaming out, no matter how hard he pressed both of his hands on his ears. Shaking and quietly sobbing he endured, witnessing the blackness slowly retreat as his will battled the screeching and slowly, ever so slowly he reemerged from the haze, the numb feeling resetting as the usual cold returned.

* * *

The run to Itachi's home was silent. Although Shisui was holding back on his speed he noted that his cousin had become faster again.

'In just two weeks. How does this kid do that?'

Shaking his head he came to a halt in front of the main house. Itachi was already climbing the stairs to the front door and was in the process of shoving it open when his mother appeared in the doorway.

Uchiha Mikoto was a beautiful woman with long raven hair and deceptively gentle features. As she looked down on her soaking son her face adopted a worried expression. She quickly pulled him into the house.

"Itachi! You shouldn't have been out in the rain! Quick, get out of your wet clothes before you catch a cold."

Shisui chuckled as Mikoto began fussing over her son. Startled, the woman lifted her head.

"Shisui-kun, I'm so sorry! Please come in, you shouldn't be out either! Would you like some breakfast?"

He smiled politely and bowed his head slightly before answering. "Thanks for the invitation, Mikoto-sama, but I don't plan to stay. I'm going to pick up some breakfast on my way to the hospital."

Her face softened. "Visiting your grandfather? You're a good boy, Shisui. If you wait one minute I'll pack some onigiri for you."

Shisui's face lit up and he stepped into the house. "Thank you! That's very generous of you."

She smiled and hurried into the kitchen. Itachi had already disappeared, presumably to his room for a change of clothes. He didn't bother to take off his sandals as he was leaving in a minute anyway and stood waiting in the genkan.

A few seconds later a shoji screen slid to the side and Uchiha Fugaku emerged from his study. The stern clan head spotted him and greeted him with a curt nod. Before stepping into the dining room, however, he hesitated. Making up his mind he came over to Shisui.

"Shisui-kun."

"Uchiha-sama."

There was a short silence. Shisui was acutely aware of the older man's scrutiny and he wished that Mikoto would hurry up. He felt uncomfortable under Fugaku's gaze.

"You just came back from a mission?"

"Yes, Uchiha-sama. It was successful."

The clan patriarch waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Of course it was. I wouldn't assume otherwise."

Shisui nodded in acceptance of the praise – or, what was as close to praise as would ever come out of Fugaku's mouth.

"When are you planning on joining the Police Force?"

He knew it. The day Fugaku would stop harassing him about joining the Police would be the day Itachi had a laughing fit. He consciously had to fight the groan rising from his chest.

"I'd like to make chuunin and jounin first before joining. I'm sure that I'll benefit from the added field experience."

Fugaku frowned.

"Make sure to rise quickly. The Uchiha need every skilled pair of hands to do their duty."

Shisui noticed the shift from 'the Police Force' to 'the Uchiha'. He was saved from having to give an answer when Mikoto reemerged from the kitchen.

She handed him a bag with two bento boxes and smiled. "Here you go. Kagami will be hungry when he wakes up, so I made an extra bento. Please convey our regards for him."

"Of course. Thank you, Mikoto-sama!"

He bowed and was already halfway out of the door when Mikoto's voice called him back.

"Shisui-kun! Would you like to come for dinner?"

He turned his head over his shoulder and grinned. "Dinner sounds great! See you then!"

"See you! And thank you for taking care of Itachi!"

Suddenly he wondered how his life would've been like had his parents survived.

* * *

The gloomy feeling in his stomach had returned during his wait for the visiting hours to start and he had decided to spend the remaining time outside since the pouring rain had finally receded to a slight drizzle. Shisui felt tiny sharp drops stinging his cheeks, leaving an annoying prickly impression. He lifted his hand not holding the plastic bag and rubbed over his face.

Konoha Hospital was not a place built to please any aesthetical standards. It was simple, a huge two-storied and U-shaped building with the flat side facing the street, located in the middle of the village. Patches of more or less green grass made up the front lawn. The paint was whitish with a pink tinge in an effort to make the building look friendlier. Shisui was not sure about the success of the attempt, but, hey, it was the thought that counted.

After the chat with Itachi there hadn't been enough time left to start a training session so he had come straight to the hospital. Idly he wondered if he could be considered a strange kid for preferring to wait in the rain instead of seeking shelter inside the building. But he was a shinobi, and shinobi didn't like hospitals, so he brushed the thought aside.

The time was finally up. He entered the building and grinned at the nurse behind the reception desk. The middle-aged woman smiled back and gave him a thumbs-up. Mai-san was definitely his favorite nurse.

He walked the stairs up to the second floor and stopped in front of the door to room 224. He mentally prepared himself and took a deep breath before pushing it open.

The room he entered was unusually big for a hospital room which housed only one patient. Of course white was the dominant color, but there were blotches of light blue and green from various items that added a homely feeling. A vase with blue bell flowers stood on the nightstand beside the bed and even more flowers and other get-well-gifts were spread over a table near the window.

His grandfather, Uchiha Kagami, lay unmoving in between pristine white sheets and pillows. The typical Uchiha look had faded with progressing age and his formerly short, unruly black hair had become longer and white. His face was wrinkled and gaunt, the cheeks hollow and the skin of a sickly gray color.

Shisui felt the bottom of his stomach drop as he took in the sight of his sleeping grandfather. His condition had worsened faster than anticipated. Only two weeks before, when Shisui had left for his mission, he had looked fine – or as fine as a bedridden man could look who had suffered heavy injuries during the attack of the nine-tails.

Moving silently, not wanting to wake his grandfather, he sat down on the chair beside the bed. He took the bento boxes out of the plastic bag and put them on the night stand, folded the bag and dropped it on the floor. He then proceeded to rearrange the sheets on the foot of the bed which had become tangled.

"No need for that, Shisui."

Shisui nearly jumped. He looked up to find an amused smile on the face of his grandfather. Kagami's eyes were sharp as ever as he took his grandson in.

"Oji-san! I wasn't aware you were awake!"

"Well, I wasn't until you started fussing around my feet. And good morning to you, too." Kagami deadpanned. His voice was strong and clear and belied the frail state of his body.

Shisui felt his face redden and had the grace to look sheepish. His grandfather was the only person who could still make him feel like a five-year-old.

"I'm sorry, oji-san. If you want to rest, I can leave and come back later."

"And what, leave me alone to my boredom? Now that I'm awake I'm not likely to fall back asleep, so leaving isn't an option for you."

Shisui grinned and let out a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. His grandfather's condition couldn't be that bad if he was still able to scold him, right?

"You just came back from a mission, I gather?"

And just like that, everything was fine again as they chatted merrily about his simple C-rank escort mission and drifted away to other topics. They ate Mikoto's onigiri, both agreeing that she made the best rice balls in Konoha. Shisui relaxed, all nervousness and bad feelings gone. It was like old times, back at home in Kagami's study from the time before they, along with a lot of other Uchiha, were forced to move into what was now the Uchiha district.

He should have known that it would not last.

"Shisui, I need to tell you something very important."

Shisui did not like the sudden seriousness in his grandfather's voice. The graveness hit him like a boulder in the gut, bringing back that odd feeling from before. He nodded mutely.

"What I tell you now is something that not many people know about. Promise me that you're not going to tell anybody whom you don't have complete and utter faith in."

The younger man gulped. "I promise."

"I never told you how I grew up, did I? Well, my father was a traditional Uchiha, stern, conservative and proud. He sought to raise his children to follow the same mindset. However, out of his two sons, it only worked on one.

"My older brother, Katsuro, never wanted to be a shinobi. My father forced him to go to the academy nonetheless because in his view, an Uchiha who was not a shinobi wasn't an Uchiha. So Katsuro decided to stop being an Uchiha and deliberately failed his graduation exam three times, ultimately marking himself as a disgrace to the family. My father was furious and stripped him off the family name, disowned him and renounced any relations to him. He forbade him to keep any contacts to the clan, including my mother and me."

Kagami smiled grimly at the memory.

"Anyway, Katsuro entered into an apprenticeship with a blacksmith. He fell in love with the blacksmith's daughter Emiko and married her after taking over the shop. He adopted the family name of his wife, Anzai, and had one child, a boy named Isao.

"When Isao was born, the Uchiha clan suddenly remembered my brother's origin, years after they had abandoned him. There was a possibility that Isao had inherited our bloodline limit, though, so the clan elders tried to persuade Katsuro to enlist his son in the academy. He resisted of course, but the clan didn't stop harassing him. They even threatened him to take Isao away by force – which they were legitimated to do. Clan law dictates that the offspring of clan members, even if they are civilian, are to be evaluated in their potential by the clan head and the elders. So Katsuro had no choice but to send Isao to the academy.

"After one year, the academy instructors send him back to the civilian school with the reasoning that he was not cut out to be a shinobi. He had a poor grasp on his chakra and was not at all interested in any form of fighting, which ended in him being on the receiving side of bullies. After that and some other things the clan quickly lost interest in him and left him alone.

"So Isao grew up as a civilian and learned the trade of his parents. When he was ready to take over the shop, Katsuro and Emiko retired. Two years ago, Isao married a girl with the name Keiko. The last time I checked, she was pregnant."

Kagami fell silent.

Shisui had never heard this story before. He hadn't known that he had relatives outside the clan, hadn't even thought of such a possibility. What would that make this Isao anyway? He quickly calculated in his head. First cousin once removed. Hmm.

Clearly, he didn't wish to interfere with clan business. Shisui would never begrudge him that sentiment, though. However, that didn't explain why the old man suddenly decided to tell him this story where, clearly, it would be in the best interest of the Anzai family to keep a low profile.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Do you remember what I said about my father? That he managed to raise one son after his beliefs?

"That was me. I was a very obedient follower and could not understand why Katsuro, who was a member of Konoha's greatest clan, would reject the idea of being a shinobi. We were not very close, so I was not upset when he was kicked out of the clan because in my eyes he deserved it.

"However, my mother, who I cared a great deal about, was heartbroken. She didn't agree with my father's verdict and tried everything to get Katsuro back. She argued that there were lots of Uchiha civilians in the clan, but my father would not listen. His son would be a proper Uchiha or none and he even forbade her to stay in any kind of contact. My mother never forgave him. She died a little on the inside on the day Katsuro left.

"After that, I started thinking. I made it a habit to occasionally check in on my brother without him noticing. As my stalking continued for months, I realized that he was happy with his new life. Just by observing him I learned to see beyond the narrow mindset of my father and the boundaries of the clan. By the time I graduated, my whole perception of my identity as a shinobi had changed fundamentally and when the Nidaime accepted our genin team, I pledged my loyalty first and foremost to my village, Konohagakure no Sato.

"During my time as an active shinobi I never stopped keeping the family of my brother in sight. So when Isao was born I was fully prepared to fight the decision of the clan elders. I would have seen it through if my nephew hadn't taken care of it by himself. But now that I have taken this injury, I cannot complete the task anymore.

"It's been four months since the Kyuubi attack. For four months nobody has been keeeping track of the Anzai family."

Kagami closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again they were the bleeding crimson of a fully matured Sharingan.

"The reason I tell you all this, Shisui, is that I want you to continue where I left off. I ask you to keep an eye on them and protect them in case of danger, be it from enemies of Konoha or the Uchiha clan. Promise me to look after them so that they don't have to suffer needlessly when I'm no longer there."

Shisui was locked into the gaze of the Sharingan. The severity of his grandfather's voice encompassed his mind, the urgency of his pleading seeping into every inch of his brain. He felt himself being dragged irresistibly into something that was bigger than he could grasp at the moment and he realized with startling clarity that he could not deny his grandfather.

His voice was a little hoarse but unwavering as he replied.

"I promise."

Kagami smiled, relief clear on his face.

"I'm glad, Shisui. Thank you."

* * *

The sun had finally decided to show itself when Shisui made his way to the Anzai smithy. Its rays were remarkably intense for February and gave notice to the approaching spring. At least the air wasn't so moist anymore, having resolved itself in the earlier week-long rain.

Shisui had never been to the civilian area of Konoha before. Reconstruction here had been swift, clean and of high priority. It had helped, too, that the civilians were not located in the center of the village and had mostly only taken stray attacks. There were barely any visible damages left, so the people had resumed with their lives.

Seeing civilians in their own surroundings was a novel experience. The people were more open, their lifestyle slower, their expressions more trusting. The blatant absence of shadowy figures racing across rooftops felt massively wrong and apparently the people felt the same about ten-year-olds in full shinobi gear strutting around the neighborhood.

All Shisui could think about was how vulnerable these people were.

He turned from the main street into an alley. It had trees planted in regular intervals, branches gently swinging in the rhythm of the wind. Although they did not have any leaves, yet, there was a slight rustling noise in the air. It was so peaceful, it was _surreal_.

He walked to the address his grandfather had given him and came to a halt in front of the smithy.

The shop was all boarded-up. Had been for a long time it seemed.

Shisui felt dread beginning to pool inside of him. Something had gone horribly wrong for the Anzai family. He needed to find out.

He went to the house next to the abandoned smithy which appeared to be a pharmacy and entered.

It was a small shop. The air smelled clean and a little soapy. Various medicines were lined up on shelves covering the walls and the counter. There were no other customers.

He walked up to the deserted counter. A little bell stood on top of a stack of magazines and Shisui reached out to alert the owner of his presence. Before he could shake it, though, a curtain of strung glass beads parted behind the counter and a woman in her fifties emerged. She was dressed in a simple maroon yukata and a matching obi, her dark hair bound back in a loose ponytail. She seized him up shortly, noticed the Uchiha attire and plastered a smile on her face. It was so fake that Shisui had to fight the urge to gag.

"Uchiha-san! Can I help you?"

Forcing himself, Shisui bowed his head politely. "Good day, owner-san! Indeed I would like to ask you some questions."

The woman nodded reluctantly.

"The neighboring blacksmith's shop, do you know what happened to the owners? I bought some weapons there once and was very happy with the high quality of their products, so I wanted to buy there something else, too. But the shop seems to be closed."

He figured that a good story would make his question somewhat less random. Lately, being an Uchiha hadn't been the grounds on which to build mutual trust. Not since the rumor that the Kyuubi had been controlled by an Uchiha had spread.

And he was right. The smile on the woman's face became icy and a wary expression entered her eyes. Suddenly the light coming in from the windows seemed to have lessened, darkening the shop and lengthening the shadows on the walls. Shisui had half a mind to check for a genjutsu. Just to be sure he muttered "Kai!" quietly. Nothing changed.

"The Anzai family" the woman began slowly, "has abandoned the smithy. It was destroyed when … when … _that monster_ attacked the village. They used to live above the shop so when the attack came they were asleep …"

She was breathing heavily now. Tears glistened in her eyes and her hands were clutching the sides of her yukata, nearly tearing the cloth in the middle.

Horrified, Shisui took the news in. Images flickered through his brain, glimpses of the huge, tailed beast, its all-devouring malice streaming from every inch of its body. The Kyuubi had attacked in the night and if the people had been sleeping while a stray projectile had hit the area … _oh god_.

"The only one that survived was the girl, Keiko, because she had been staying with her parents that night. She was pregnant and she will have given birth by now. The poor girl will have to raise the child without a father. Kami, she didn't deserve this, none of them deserved it! They were good people, all of them …"

The woman was sobbing now, but Shisui had listened wide-eyed. When she didn't show any signs of continuing, he leaned forward, pressing his hands on the counter and looking deep in her eyes. His voice was strained and sounded urgent as he spoke.

"Owner-san, where can I find Keiko? Please, I need to find her! Tell me where she lives!"

The woman shot him a suspicious glare. "You're not going to make any trouble for her, are you? Kami knows she has already endured enough without the meddling of the police."

Shisui shook his head. "I'm not here on behalf of the police. I promise that I'm not going to make any trouble for her. But it is of the utmost importance that I see and speak to her!"

The woman stared for a little longer until she finally relented.

"The last time I heard she was at the house of her parents. She was a Sugimura before she married Anzai-san, so I suggest you start looking there."

* * *

Mikoto discreetly eyed the boy while he was being harassed by her husband. On the outside, Shisui was nothing but polite, but as a wife to an Uchiha and a mother of two Uchiha sons she was more than able to read the tenseness in his shoulders, the way his jaw locked when he was not speaking and the way his knees were pressed together on the zabuton. It was plain to see that he did not enjoy the conversation.

Fugaku had started off with questions about the development of his Sharingan. ("Gomen Uchiha-sama, but I have not yet awakened it."), followed by questions about his plans on making chuunin ("Yes, Uchiha-sama, we're going to participate in the next exams. No, Uchiha-sama, my team does not weigh me down, we have excellent teamwork. Yes, I'm very glad about my teammates and my sensei, I value them very highly not only as shinobi. Yes, Yuuhi-sensei is more than adequate and is very invested in us, though he does not place emphasis on the same areas as Kushina-sensei did.")and now he was explaining why it was most important that Shisui joined the Police Force as soon as possible.

Mikoto didn't doubt for a moment that this part was intended as a lesson for Itachi as well.

Her son was quietly eating his dinner and hadn't spoken a word, yet, which really was nothing unusual. What was unusual, however, was the way he intently monitored the reactions of his cousin to his father's speech about family honor, clan pride and the natural advantage of their blood line.

Mikoto knew for a fact that Itachi regarded his cousin with something akin to admiration of the sort that a younger sibling would have for his older brother. Though her son never expressed his affection in the way other children – Mikoto refused to use the word 'normal' even in her thoughts – did, like following around or, god forbid, clinging to the chosen person, he had other ways of showing.

It was the way his face brightened at the sight of Shisui, the lips just a little bit more prone to smiling, the eyes lighting up, the way he sought for the elder's approval during training and the way he took every piece of guidance to heart.

She knew, too, that Shisui reciprocated that feeling. He spent a lot of his free time around her son and showed overprotective tendencies.

And recently, it seemed that the two clan geniuses had progressed to sharing thoughts about their views of live. Or more precise, their views of the clan.

Mikoto hid her amused smile behind a curtain of raven hair as she stood up and started to collect the used dishes. When Itachi got ready to help her, she signaled him with a gentle shake of her head that he should remain on his seat. Fugaku would be displeased if he left in the middle of his lecture.

She brought the dinnerware to the sink in the kitchen and was just about to return to the dining room to collect the rest when a piercing wail cut through the house.

Itachi shot out of the dining room like a lightning bolt and disappeared into little Sasuke's room. Mikoto arrived there only a second later with worry tightly gripping her heart, to a picture so heartwarming that she stilled completely.

Itachi was standing in front of Sasuke's bed and holding his baby brother in his arms, the little bundle pressed tightly to his chest. Small tufts of soft raven hair peaked out from the blankets and tiny hands were clutched in the material of Itachi's shirt. Sasuke had already stopped crying, comfortably snuggled into the warmth of his brother's arms.

Steps echoed in the hallway behind her. She turned around and saw her husband and Shisui. Waving her hand she gave them both a reassuring smile.

"Everything's fine."

"What happened?" Shisui asked, relief relaxing his features.

"He fell out of his bed." Itachi answered not releasing the hold on his brother.

Mikoto frowned slightly. Her son was a tad bit overprotective today, even more so than usual.

"Hn." That was her husband. "I will retreat to my study now. Good night, Shisui."

"Good night, Uchiha-sama."

They watched as the clan head disappeared behind one of the shoji screens. Shisui turned around again and grinned.

"I'll help you with the dishes, Mikoto-sama. Itachi can stay here and play mother hen a little longer."

Mikoto's laughter rang through the house. "That is very considerate of you, Shisui-kun. Let's go then."

She made her way to the kitchen, completely missing the pensive expression on Shisui's face as he threw a last glance into Sasuke's bedroom.

* * *

**AN: **This is the first chapter of my first fanfiction. Please leave a review and tell me what you think. Thank you!


	2. Family Business

Once upon a time I had solid reasoning for Shisui being five years older than Itachi. It had something to do with Kakashi's age and the Third Shinobi War but ... uh ... I kind of forgot all about it.

* * *

Chapter 2

_3 years ago_

"Congratulations to all of you. You have passed this year's academy graduation exam and are as of now shinobi of the Leaf with the rank of genin.

"I'm going to announce the teams that you've been put into. After you have received the information about your teammates and your sensei you will stay here and wait for their arrival. Give your best, serve the village and stay alive."

Shisui eyed his academy instructor from behind half-lidded eyes. The man, Sanada-sensei, looked gaunt and tired. He had dark circles under his eyes and his face had deep lines at the corners of his mouth and on his forehead. He was struggling with the paperwork in his hands.

He was a retired shinobi who had jumped in as a replacement when his younger predecessor and Shisui's usual instructor had been called to enforce the borders of Fire Country. That had been two months ago. Shisui had the glum feeling that he would not be seeing Arata-sensei anytime soon.

He found that he could not muster the interest to follow the man as he rumbled off the different teams. His head was heavy and swirling with thoughts from the conversation he had had with his grandfather the previous night. Kagami's shinobi-initiation-speech had been infinitely more profound than the short "Give your best, serve the village and stay alive" from Sanada-sensei.

He perked up, though, as his own team was announced.

"Team 6: Aburame Muta, Teruya Atsuko and Uchiha Shisui. Your jounin-sensei will be Uzumaki Kushina."

He had been placed in a team with Number 4 and 21 of the graduation list. Having graduated at the top of this year's class himself, his team had been predestined to include both him as well as the dead last. He couldn't help but feel the slightest bit annoyed by the Hokage's attempt to balance the teams out, even if he knew theoretically that it was only fair.

He scanned the room for his teammates and found the Aburame seated close to the window of the second row. Muta wore the trademark attire of his clan: a high collared, light gray jacket that covered the lower half of his face, sunglasses in a peculiar plum color, standard dark pants and blue shinobi sandals. He wore his brown hair loose at shoulder length and had his arms crossed in front of his chest. His whole appearance was calm and relaxed.

His other teammate sat at the back of the class and was twiddling with strands of her dark blonde hair. She looked bored and not the least interested in what her teacher had to say, her chocolate brown eyes fixed on a point somewhere far beyond the window. She was dressed in a short green jacket that covered a black shirt with underlying mesh, black shorts and sandals. Gray fingerless combat gloves covered her hands. They were at least two sizes too big.

They were both 10 years old. Shisui himself was only eight and he briefly wondered if the difference in age would be a problem, but he dismissed the thought as he remembered that prodigies like Hatake Kakashi had graduated at age 5.

Which would explain why he had never had a permanent team as a genin, only joining one as a chuunin after a long time alone. Well, never mind.

They didn't have to wait long before a tall woman with fiery red hair and a stern face entered the room and called their names. They followed her obediently to the rooftop.

"So" the woman began, "I suppose I should congratulate you for passing the academy exam. But I have to warn you that you're not proper genin, yet."

"What." Muta said flatly.

"What?" Shisui frowned.

"What?! Are you kidding us?" Atsuko exclaimed.

"No. And you will address me with Kushina-sensei. You will have to pass another test, provided by me. If you pass, you'll become genin under my tutelage. If you don't, you can forget any aspirations you had for your shinobi career."

The three newly minted genin were dumbstruck in varying degrees. Atsuko's face was incredulous and slowly taking on a red hue, Shisui looked taken aback and Muta … was too covered up to show any visible expression. But his whole body was tense.

"Right. So, I have to admit that I'm not happy with your ages. Normally, the graduation age for the academy is 12, but in the face of the looming war, the Hokage has been hard-pressed to lower the threshold to 10 years to fill up our ranks. And apparently, it's even lower set for candidates who are particularly talented."

Here she threw a quick, meaningful glance at Shisui. Her voice grew even more heavy and serious, her face taking on a hard expression.

"I will freely admit that I oppose these regulations, mainly because the life of a shinobi is not a place for children, not even in times of peace. We do not lead adventurous missions to save some princess in a tower."

Somehow Shisui had difficulties imagining the stern woman in the middle of rescuing a princess.

"What we do is dirty, damaging and more often than not morally questionable. Our line of work is dangerous, brutal and gory. We kill for money. Death and blood are our constant companions. There will come a time where each of us has to decide whether to choose the success of a mission or the lives of our comrades.

"The impending war will kill a lot of us. You might never go beyond the rank of genin. If you are called to the front lines, you might never see your families again. If your enemies capture you, you might be killed if you're lucky. If not, you will be tortured for every last bit of information.

"Two of you are clan kids so you probably have an idea of what I'm talking about. But you, Teruya, are from a civilian family. This is the last chance for you to retreat. If you have any second thoughts, well, now is the moment to voice them."

Silence reigned on the rooftop. Atsuko was, for perhaps the first time of her life, speechless. She had not imagined her first day with her team like that.

The air was heavy with expectation as hard violet eyes drilled into the blonde and Shisui felt panic welling up inside him. What if Atsuko decided to give up? Would their team be declared defunct? What would happen to Muta and him?

Just as he decided to give a few encouraging hints, Atsuko spoke.

"The hell I'm going to give up now!" she shouted, determination in her eyes and fists bumping into the air. "I'm gonna show you all what a civilian girl is made of!"

The woman – no, Kushina-sensei – held the intimidating gaze a few seconds longer but Atsuko didn't budge. Finally, her eyes softened as a small smile appeared on her lips which rapidly grew into a radiant grin.

Shisui had to control himself to not let his jaw go slack. The smile changed her face completely and suddenly she was as bright as the sun on a summer day, all traces of the intimidating woman from a minute before gone.

"Congratulations, Team 6, you passed my test. You're officially genin now and I, Uzumaki Kushina, will be your sensei. Let's introduce ourselves to get to know each other better, ne? We're going to be an awesome team, 'ttebane!"

Shisui was not sure if he should be impressed or terrified.

* * *

_Present Day_

Shisui appeared on the training field in a swirl of leaves. He was exactly on time.

"Oh cut it, you show-off!" Atsuko huffed. She had her arms crossed before her chest and scowled at the Uchiha. "Seriously, how do you cram all these techniques into your head? It's been three years now and you still show up with a new technique every two months. And I never even see you practicing them before they're mastered!"

"I'm an Uchiha. We have some very useful ability enhancements." Shisui replied with a cheeky grin.

"That would be the Sharingan, but I know that you haven't awakened it, yet!" his teammate snapped. "That's even more frustrating."

Shisui was about to retort with something about enhanced brain faculties but was cut off by his third teammate.

"It used to be every three weeks. You're getting slower, Uchiha. Old age setting in?" Muta smirked.

"Maa, just moving on to tougher stuff. Can't always stay with the babies, right Atsuko?"

"What, are you trying to imply, Shisui-_chan_?"

The banter was light and easy, a reassuring constant in Shisui's life. Slipping into the solid comfort that was their team dynamics felt as natural as breathing and he was reminded of the conversation he'd had with Itachi the day before.

_This is what home feels like._

A small voice in his head insisted on reminding him that an integral part of his team was missing, gone, never going to come back – fiery red hair, brilliant laughter and warmth in violet eyes – but he viciously smothered those thoughts and forced them back into the deepest recesses of his mind.

By the time Moeru-sensei appeared, they were in the middle of a spar. Atsuko was wielding her kusarigama, keeping Shisui at arm's length who was trying to find an opening with his tanto. The chain was rotating in a fierce blur, the weight at the end deadly with the combined force of speed and gravitation. Shisui was busy evading Atsuko's attempt to entangle his tanto in her chain, never staying in one place for too long. He realized that he couldn't break through her defense if he stayed within her reach and executed a quick back flip.

He was forming hand seals before his feet hit the ground again, tanto miraculously back in its harness. Atsuko widened her eyes and jumped back hastily in anticipation of a fireball which never came. Shisui allowed himself a smirk as he shunshined, appearing just behind her as she landed. He immediately crouched down on his hands and kicked her clean off her feet.

Atsuko fell backwards with a startled cry. She attempted to twist and lunge at Shisui with the scythe of her kusarigama in mid-air. Shisui shot up from the ground, grabbed the wrist of her weapon hand and used her own momentum to slam her into the earth.

Just as he was about to straddle the furious kunoichi, a cloud of kikai bugs descended upon them. Shisui cursed and shunshined out of the way. He berated himself for forgetting Muta and quickly scanned the training field.

That was when he spotted Moeru-sensei, who signaled them to break up the spar and come over.

He jogged back to the place where he had left Atsuko to the bugs, finding his teammate groaning on her back. He had a smug look on his face as he offered her a hand to pull her up. Atsuko scowled at him.

"Asshole, you tricked me. I thought you were going to blow your goukakyuu into my face."

"Just because I formed the seals doesn't mean I put in any chakra. It worked beautifully, don't you think?"

He snickered as he dodged a fist aimed at his head.

Muta appeared from behind the tree line and joined them.

"That was indeed clever. And your shunshin has become rather impressive. I would've mistaken it for a kawarimi if it wasn't for the lack of a substituted object."

"I'm thinking of making it my signature move. I may not be able to reproduce the hiraishin, but a perfect shunshin is close enough. What do you think?"

Indignation forgotten, Atsuko whipped her head around, eyes sparkling with excitement.

"That would be, like, _really_ cool!"

Moeru-sensei motioned for them to sit down when they arrived. He had his ever-present scowl on his face that accentuated the scar that ran from his right temple across his cheek. He had the typical red Yuuhi eyes and dark close-cropped hair, one shade lighter than coal. He wore the standard jounin attire of Konoha, his flak jacket open over his black shirt.

Yuuhi Moeru was so different from Uzumaki Kushina that none of the genin ever honestly thought about comparing them.

From the moment he met Team Kushina, he made it clear that he was not going to cuddle them and demanded absolute devotion to the tasks assigned. He was strict, his training was hard and he expected nothing but perfection. That didn't change on the – admittedly unspectacular – missions, either, where they were mostly left to their own devices.

What showed them that he cared regardless was the way he criticized them. Sharp and on the spot, he never wasted time on pleasantries and pointed out weaknesses in their individual fighting as well as in their teamwork. The truth had sounded harsh at the beginning, but they quickly came to realize that it was exactly what they needed.

He spoke without preamble.

"I nominated you for the next chuunin exams. They'll be held in Suna this time and I want all three of you to pass. That means a lot of preparation. You will have additional training, so the number of missions will go down. I have planned an intensive training tour for you which will be two weeks long. We'll go to the border of Wind Country for that so that you get an inkling of the conditions you'll have to face in the competition. Come to the front gates tomorrow at 0800 and pack adequately. Training starts the moment you set foot out of Konoha."

"Hai!" the three chorused.

Moeru nodded sharply and left with a shunshin.

"Well" Atsuko said after a short pause. "That was unspectacular."

"What did you expect? Some big speech about how well we have served Konoha until now and that it's time for us to take on some responsibility?" Muta commented wryly.

"It would have been nice" grumbled the girl.

"You do notice that it's Moeru-sensei we're talking about, don't you?"

"Of course I do, but you don't nominate your genin team for the chuunin exams every day. I bet even the cold, stony Uchiha say something nice to their kids when they take part in the exams. Don't they, Shisui?"

Muta and Atsuko turned around to face their teammate – who had not been paying attention at all.

A mischievous glint appeared in Atsuko's eyes.

"If I didn't know any better" she drawled "I would say that our dear Shisui-chan, who is always focused and attentive to a fault, was _spacing out_. Say, something on your mind?"

"Hn."

"Oh, don't you hn me, Uchiha. Something's going on in that genius mind of yours. Spill it."

Shisui put on his sweetest smile showing just a little too much teeth. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Come on, tell us. Is it a girl?"

Although he knew that it had been a wild guess and couldn't possibly refer to that particular girl with that particular backstory, he couldn't help but feel caught. Suddenly he was thankful for an upbringing in a clan that didn't approve of open emotional display.

Irritated, Atsuko turned to their remaining teammate. "Hey, how about you helping me? Don't just stand there and let me do all the work! Aren't you interested?"

"No" Muta deadpanned.

Atsuko huffed. "Kami, you two are no fun at all! And I'm gonna have to spend two weeks with you?"

"You spend time with us anyway" Muta said dryly.

"That's only because I –"

"- don't have any friends." Shisui completed with a smirk.

"- have pity with you." Atsuko cried.

Shisui dodged her fist, laughing and waving at his teammates as he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

"Huh?" Atsuko blinked. "He just … left?"

* * *

When Shisui entered the hospital room, Kagami was awake. He looked even more tired and worn than the day before.

Ugly fear raised its head and sent waves of anxiety rolling through Shisui, setting him on edge. In a split second his vision shifted.

Suddenly his grandfather's complexion had a waxy white color and his eyes were wide open and glassy. His chest was still, as was the rest of his body. The pale hospital light drew hard lines on him as he turned into something more akin to a faded memory than a person.

Shisui blinked and he was back again. Kagami was watching him attentively, breathing and very much alive.

Relief washed over him and for the first time he realized the very real possibility that, someday, he would be alone, that the leading figure of his life, his voice of reason would be gone. There would be no more advice, no more guidance in times of uncertainty.

The loss of his grandfather would change him in more profound than he could he yet imagine.

He dreaded it.

He tried to shake the anxiety away and, taking a deep breath, walked over to Kagami's bedside. He sat down on the chair which had been left there from the last visitor. He briefly wondered who it had been but he didn't dwell on it. Kagami had known a lot of people during his active duty years. It was nothing out of the ordinary to assume that some acquaintances had become friends.

"I went to the Anzai smithy, oji-san" he began. He hesitated.

Kagami didn't answer and waited patiently, his face in a perfectly impassive Uchiha mask. Not for the first time Shisui found the trademark expression of his clan slightly unnerving.

"The shop is heavily damaged and currently not in active use. Anzai Katsuro, Emiko and Isao died in the Kyuubi attack."

At this, Kagami's eyes darkened. A flicker of grief, noticeable in the minute tightening of the corners of his mouth, the brief tensing of jaw and neck, passed over his appearance.

Shisui waited for him to recompose himself before he continued with his report.

"Anzai Keiko survived and has given birth to a daughter, Sugimura Kanae, two months ago. Mother and daughter are currently living with the Sugimura clan. They are well, at least physically."

Kagami closed his eyes.

"How does she look like?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"She looks like an Uchiha. Pale skin, dark eyes and black hair. She's a pretty girl."

He knew because he had caught glimpses of her when he had visited the Sugimura estate the day before.

In the soft twilight of dusk, surrounded by the walls of the estate and cocooned in the domestic warmth of a big civilian clan, mother and daughter had seemed like a fragile unit, a construction laced with isolation and the tentative hope to overcome the suffocating grief that stood like a wall of glass between them and the rest of the world.

He had decided then that it was for the best if he remained unseen. He didn't know how to act if they noticed him.

"Do you feel up to it?"

Shisui blinked. "I already promised."

"Without knowing what would await you."

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I knew from the beginning that this was about family."

"So this is clan duty to you?"

"I remember saying that it was family business."

Kagami smiled, eyes still closed. "I see."

His grandfather looked peaceful like that. The smile erased the shadows under his eyes and filled the hollowness of his cheeks. He gave the air of a man who was not free of sorrows, but who knew that he had done all he could to ensure that whatever problem was left unsolved would be taken over by capable hands.

Shisui was proud that Kagami put so much trust into him, but at the same time he was scared. An unfitting sentiment for an Uchiha, a snide voice in the back of his mind remarked.

Annoyed, he latched onto the next best thing to distract himself, thus blurting out "I'mleavingfortwoweekstomorrow" rather randomly.

"For training" he added after a short embarrassed silence. "Moeru-sensei nominated us for the chuunin exams."

Kagami watched him closely. Calmly he asked "Do you feel ready?"

Shisui nodded enthusiastically. "We've all grown pretty strong now and our teamwork has never been better. With the additional training we'll be getting I'm confident that we'll make it to the third round."

"That's good. Where will the exams take place?"

"In Suna."

"Suna, hm? Be prepared for conditions harsher than what we're used to. There're no trees in the desert and the sun can quickly become your enemy."

"I know. That's why we're leaving tomorrow. Moeru-sensei will take us to the borders of Wind Country so that we get a taste of what we'll be facing."

"Borders of Wind?" Kagami frowned. "You'll have to cross River for that."

"That's fine. River is neutral grounds and both Wind in the west and Grass in the north are allied with Fire. Secure from all sides, see?"

"Still, be careful. Grudges and feuds cut deep and the treaties are still young."

Shisui nodded. He stood up from his chair and touched his grandfather's hand.

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to leave now. I've got to prepare for the journey and I need to tell Itachi that I have to cancel our training session." He grimaced at that thought. "He won't be happy about that."

* * *

"You're leaving again? Your sensei is aware that protocol demands you to rest between lengthy missions, isn't he?"

Itachi's face was set in a disapproving frown that looked almost comical on his baby face. Shisui smiled fondly as he reached out to ruffle his cousin's hair. Itachi didn't even flinch at his actions, merely drawing his brows even further together.

Shisui sighed and replied in a placative tone "Participating in the chuunin exams without proper preparations wouldn't be smart, you know."

"You don't need any more preparation. You already are better than most chuunin." Itachi stated matter-of-factly, completely convinced of his own opinion. He was picky in his choice of role model after all.

Shisui grinned broadly, mirth dancing in his eyes. He knew he probably felt entirely too smug about the hero-worship his cousin was displaying in moments like these, but he figured he would relish them until Itachi learned to hide his emotions like a proper Uchiha. They were already getting rare as it was and frankly, Itachi would probably surpass him before he hit puberty anyway.

Besides, Itachi was right. Why should he hide behind false modesty?

"It's not just about me. We'll be tested as a team. The strength shinobi can achieve in a team is far greater than the attempts of a lone fighter."

Itachi pressed his lips into a thin line and said nothing.

"I'm sure training with your father and Yashiro-san will help you progress really quickly. They're terrific teachers."

"I'm not upset about the training sessions we'll miss." Itachi's voice was even, not giving a hint of the agitation he felt.

"I'll make up our lost time to you as soon as the exams are over, alright?"

At this, Itachi's gaze intensified.

"Promise?"

"Promise. You want my pinky for that, 'Tachi-chan?"

His little cousin raised an eyebrow at that. Shisui chuckled. He lifted two fingers and, before Itachi could react, poked his forehead with them. Itachi scowled and made an indignant noise, puffing up his cheeks in the process.

When the seriousness in his expression dropped, Shisui mused, Itachi really was an adorable little kid.

* * *

He was in his room, sitting on the edge of his bed and thinking about the stuff he would need for the journey. His backpack stood between his legs as Shisui methodically sealed weapons, survival equipment and various other items into three storage scrolls and dropped them into the bag.

Although it was still bright outside, his room was bathed in meager twilight, reflected off the house walls of the backyard and sluggishly finding its way through the milky window panes of his window. It hadn't been cleaned for a long time, but Shisui couldn't find it in him to bother. At least it made it hard to look in.

Finished with his packing, he was left to ponder over what he should do with his remaining time. He could go train, but he would be doing nothing else for the next two weeks anyway. He supposed he should relax and save his energy for that and half-heartedly thought about reading or meditating. But all of a sudden, he felt restless.

He opened the window and slid through the gap between glass and window sill, immediately pouring chakra into his feet to stick to the wall. He ran up to the roof and headed straight for the gates of the Uchiha district.

For a while, he sped over Konoha's rooftops without a clear destination, just running for the sake of running. He enjoyed the feel of the cool evening air racing against his skin, ruffling through his hair and making his eyes water. He pushed himself to his limit and soon the muscles in his legs began to burn in a satisfying way.

He slowed down to a comfortable jog after completing five laps around the village. It was starting to get dark and the air had cooled down markedly, picking up speed until the wind was tugging insistently at his clothes.

He hopped down from the rooftops and walked on the streets, allowing his feet to take a random direction. Running had emptied his mind effectively and he felt much calmer than before. On a whim, he decided to check on the Sugimura estate one last time before he left.

When he arrived at the low walls surrounding a rather big garden, darkness had fallen already. A soft glow was emanating from the window which he knew belonged to the baby girl's room. He climbed the wall and swiftly ran up one of the sakura trees which provided a good view into the room without risking being seen.

It occurred to him that, technically, he was trespassing on private property and that he could easily be mistaken as some weird stalker. He snorted when he thought of the reaction of his cousin if he ever told him. Ah, the things he did for family.

Keiko and her baby were conveniently seated at the opened window. The young mother was gazing at the night sky, a blanket draped over her form to protect her from the chilly breeze. She had her daughter, neatly bundled and sound asleep, clutched tightly to her chest.

She looked so very soft and vulnerable in the pale moonlight, auburn hair framing her slightly plump face and gently flowing down her back. She had big pretty eyes set into a nearly childish face that made her appear so very young and fragile. Yet, her lips were surprisingly full and sensuous – something she had passed on to her daughter. She was not beautiful, but attractive in a way that appealed to a part in the brain that wanted to _protect _her and make sure that she was never hurt.

That, however, had clearly gone down the drain the moment the Kyuubi had fired off into the civilian quarters.

In that moment, Keiko moved. She stood up from the window, shut it and drew the curtains closed. Shisui followed the movements of her shadow as she put her daughter into a crib, bent over to give her a kiss and finally left after switching off the light on the nightstand.

Shisui knew that he should be leaving now but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to do so. He was suddenly confronted with the urge to see the baby, Kanae, up close before departing for his training journey. Without further thinking he was running up the house wall and stopped next to the window. He crouched there and listened for a few heartbeats, making sure that none of the house's inhabitants were going to interrupt him.

He opened the window and quietly slipped inside. He sneaked stealthily to the crib, intent not to wake the child, and peered over the curb.

As he had said to his grandfather, Kanae's Uchiha heritage was as plain as day. She had the same sharp facial features like himself, with the straight nose and long dark eyelashes that had a slight upturn at the corners of her eyes. Someday from beneath the baby fat, he was sure, high cheekbones and a clean jawline would emerge.

He couldn't imagine how anybody could _not _mistake her for an Uchiha.

He felt a sudden urge of protectiveness in his chest. It was similar to what he felt for Itachi but at the same time more gentle and heavy, pulling at him as if it was about to consume him whole. A picture flashed through his mind: Itachi, protectively holding little Sasuke in his arms. Was this how his cousin felt for his baby brother?

He closed his eyes and tried to envision himself holding little Kanae, feeling the soft breathing bundle of life against his chest and knowing of the responsibility he held for this tiny existence. He smiled when he opened his eyes again.

To stare directly into a pair of onyx ones.

Shisui froze. He was holding his breath, anxiously waiting for the moment her piercing wail would rip through the silence of the house, alerting the rest of the family. He tensed the muscles in his legs, ready to shoot out of the room at the faintest noise.

Nothing happened.

Nothing, except for those big, dark eyes that watched him with an uncanny focus. After a few tense seconds, the girl moved, lifting her chubby arms in the direction of his face.

Mesmerized, Shisui let his hand reach into the crib and meet her tiny fingers. She grabbed his index in a surprisingly firm grip in response.

Shisui was absolutely knocked off his sandals when the baby girl began to smile.

Gurgly sounds escaped her pink lips as she wiggled happily, never letting go of his finger. After the initial bafflement Shisui began to chuckle and sway the digit, watching as her attached fist followed his every movement.

He was reminded of a saying that he had picked up somewhere along his childhood: that animals and babies could tell if a person was really kind or not.

And in that moment it appeared like a revelation to him. Even if he had not already agreed to watch over her he was sure he would have now. She had chosen him and he would be damned if he failed to protect her.

His voice was thick with emotion as he spoke. "My name is Shisui. From now on, Kanae-chan, I'll be your nii-san. I will protect you with all I have. I'll be here whenever you need me. I promise."

Doing something had never felt so right.

* * *

The scroll that contained the plans for the escort and protection of the Hokage on his journey to the capital in order to legally affirm his reinstatement as head of Konoha was safely tucked away. He was in full ANBU gear, porcelain mask covering his face, as he jumped along stone walls and giant steel pipes into the secret underground base of ROOT. His silver-white hair was whipping with the speed of his descent.

He had taken his time to decide. The full three days in fact that Danzou had given him to reflect on the offer he had been made. But in the end, joining ROOT had been the only option.

It was the Sandaime's fault that he was alone now. Minato-sensei had died because of some stupid peace vision of an old deluded man that had managed nothing but to prevent a generation of strong shinobi to help protect their village and their Hokage. The protection of Minato-sensei, his last precious person, the only remnant of his family after the deaths of Obito and Rin, and Kushina-san had been the only thing worth living for, the only thing keeping him from drowning in guilt and self-loathing.

He saw now that it hadn't been the Kyuubi but Sarutobi Hiruzen that had ripped this away from him. Had it not been for Danzou he would have been too grief-stricken to notice, but now it was as clear to him as day. All his hatred and rage, but also his guilt and powerlessness had found a new vent and with the focus of a person living without goal he had set himself on the path of bringing the Sandaime down. Entering ROOT was a small price to pay.

The attack came as a surprise.

Wood sprouted from behind one of the mighty stone pillars, growing with impossible speed, twisting and winding its way to him in several beams. He could not dodge, having just propelled from one of the pipes and thus flying defenselessly through the air.

_Mokuton?!_

And then the wood was upon him, creaking in its effort to bring him down. He noticed that the edges were blunted – which was good. That meant that his opponent was not going to impale him.

He twisted his body in mid-air, pulling his legs to his torso, only to let them down on one of the beams, all in a second's notice. With a burst of chakra he pushed himself off again, summersaulting out of the way of another two beams in a sharp angle to his original course.

He landed vertically on the next stone pillar and immediately spun around. His opponent chose the same moment to step out from his hidden position and launched his next attack. As a new barrage of wooden beams shot from his outstretched arm – in fact, he noted detachedly, his arm had _become_ the wood – he gripped his right hand and lit it up with a massive burst of chakra which immediately took the shape of cackling electricity. The sound of a thousand chirping birds filled the space.

He jumped from the pillar directly into the attack of his enemy, intent on cutting through the wood with his chidori.

"That's enough!" a harsh voice commanded.

Instantly, the mokuton user dropped his attack. The ANBU watched fascinated as the wood disassociated from the arm that regained his flesh coloring. The suspended beams hung in the air for a short moment before crashing on the ground.

He dissolved his chidori and landed next to his attacker who was now facing Shimura Danzou. The first thing he noticed was how small he actually was. Judging by the build he was still a child, not even a teen yet. Like himself he wore an ANBU-mask that covered his face. Dark brown hair was cut short a few inches beneath his ears. His attire was held in varied grey nuances, consisting of a nearly black short-sleeved jacket over a dark sleeveless shirt that was tied at his waist with a string. Dark grey pants, sandals and a weapon's pouch at his thigh completed his outfit.

Why was this boy able to use mokuton? How was this even possible? The kekkei genkai had gone extinct with the death of the Shodai!

"I called for him." Danzou said to the boy in disapproving tone, face set in a hard expression. Half of his face was covered with bandages, obscuring his right eye from view. A distinct scar in the shape of a cross marred the skin of his chin.

"Yes, sir." The addressed boy bowed sharply. His voice confirmed the suspicion that he was indeed very young.

Without sparing him a further glance, the elder turned toward the silver haired teen. His expression changed instantly to a grandfatherly smile that had his one visible eye squinting.

"Thank you for coming here."

The ANBU went down on his knees and grabbed for the hidden scroll, presenting it with an impassive "Here."

Danzou took the scroll and opened it. A short silence ensued while he was reading its content in which none of the two boys moved an inch. When he finished, an excited gleam appeared in his eye and his lips curled into a satisfied smirk.

"The time has finally come" he whispered, almost as if he didn't mean it to be heard.

Louder, he continued. "Well done, Kakashi. Now the real work will begin."

The ANBU, still in his kneeling position, raised his head to face his superior. Through the eye slits of his porcelain mask a brief flare of crimson could be perceived as he accepted his praise and waited for his new orders.

He would listen now and nod in acceptance. But there were things he needed to research before he could decide whether he acted on his orders or not.

* * *

By the way, Muta is a canon character, unlike Atsuko and Moeru-sensei. Leave a review and tell me what you think!


	3. The Girl That Wanted

**AN:** Hey guys, nice to see that you're still reading this. Thanks for the alerts and views! Though I would really appreciate it if you could leave a few words for me after reading, you know, just so that I know that I'm not the only one enjoying it. I'm having a blast writing this right now.

Anyway, we're finally getting some action! Oh, and it gets a bit dark in here. I've upped the rating of the story to M now because of the violence in this chapter. I hope you enjoy (umm ... not the violence, the chapter in general)!

**Warnings:** Violence, Character Death, Mentions of alcohol abuse and child abuse. If any of these trigger any unpleasant memories I advise you to press the back button now. Thank you.

* * *

Chapter 3

_6 years ago_

There were two of them, walking into the classroom with long strides.

They were clad in typical shinobi wear, their hitai-ates at their places on the respective foreheads. Both wore green chuunin vests with black pants and black sandals, but whereas the male shinobi also wore the standard black shirt, the woman had a shirt with fishnet sleeves. Her hands were wrapped in bandages.

They radiated confidence as they came to a halt in front of the class. The woman was smiling at the children. Atsuko found that, with her long brunette hair flowing down her back and the finely cut facial features, she was very pretty.

Her sensei cleared her throat and the twenty odd civilian children directed their eyes at the middle-aged woman again.

"Well, class, today we have two special guests. You probably know that you're nearing the age at which you can choose either to continue the civilian school or to start training to become a shinobi. Yoshiyuki-san and Tsurumaki-san are shinobi and will introduce you to the possibility of attending the academy where you can do that, if you wish so."

The class promptly erupted into excited chatter with one or two boys loudly declaring that they would become the _bestest shinobi ever_. The girls were gushing more quietly, shooting looks at the two adults and blushing furiously when one of them caught their eye.

Atsuko was silent as she sat still in her seat at the back row. She had not known that she could choose to become a shinobi.

It really was nothing unusual for her to be uninformed. Information never came freely to her. Where other children would easily grab the latest news from parents and friends, Atsuko was left in the dark, cut off from the pipe that circulated everyday knowledge that connected the rest of society, like a severed limb from its body.

It was not for lack of trying, either. For a long time, Atsuko had attempted to reach out to the people who were supposed to be closest to her.

Her mother who had left her and her father when she was six years old. Who lived with a new family on the other side of Fire Country now, complete with husband and child.

Her father whose most intimate relationship was with a bottle of sake. Whom everybody in their neighborhood knew to be mean and violent, the most to his daughter who reminded him of his ex-wife.

The other children in her class who avoided her because of her nonexistent family. Whose parents had told them to stay away because she was a bad influence.

It didn't help that she was self-conscious, too, and felt awkward in most social situations. Sometimes she thought that, if she had a chance to start all over, she would strive to be the complete opposite. Confident and maybe even popular. But even if she would not be the center of attention, one or two friends would be a start.

As the two shinobi began to explain the shinobi system, the course of their lives and their purpose for the village, Atsuko felt excitement beginning to bubble in her stomach.

_This is the chance I've been looking for_.

A new school with new people.

Teachers who would show her how to defend herself.

The chance to leave the decrepit construction that was her home upon graduation.

The possibility to become strong.

Her eyes were shining as she was handed some papers containing the application forms for the ninja academy. She quickly leafed through them, delight growing with every second.

_It's going to happen for real._

Her stomach dropped as she came to the last line of the last page. Her legal guardian needed to sign the papers.

Her father would never approve.

Hours later, she was strolling through the village. She hadn't felt like going home and had allowed her feet to wander, taking her to the edge of the civilian quarters.

She could see the Hokage Tower looming over the rooftops , the giant red sign with the kanji for 'fire' glinting in the afternoon sun. She knew that the academy was located right within the Tower and following an impulse, she walked down the street that led there.

It was quiet when she arrived, the lessons having ended long before. There was a swing hanging from the branch of a tree a few feet away from the entrance and she walked over to sit down. She gently began to rock back and forth, her eyes glazed over from a daydream. She imagined herself as a student, standing among others that were in training to become shinobi just like her.

Suddenly, the door leading to the village administration went open and a kunoichi stepped through it. Atsuko gasped as she recognized the woman as Tsurumaki-san, one of the shinobi that had gone to her school today.

She leapt off the swing and landed deftly on her feet, whirling up cloud of dust as she did and started running.

"Tsurumaki-san!"

The woman turned around. If she was surprised that a little civilian girl was loitering around the academy grounds and calling her name she didn't show. Instead, she waited as the girl came to a halt before her, her face alert and closed off.

Atsuko was a little intimidated. She had thought that the woman would be smiling that warm open smile again like before. She stuttered as she spoke her first words.

"I'm s-sorry to b-bother you, Tsurumaki-san. I'm Teruya Atsuko, I was in the class you visited this morning and I wondered … I r-really want to become a kunoichi, but I'm not sure if I can."

The woman's eyes softened as she listened to the girl's babbling and she crouched down to be level-eyed with her.

"Believe in yourself, Atsuko. If you really want it, you should go to the academy. Don't let any obstacles dissuade you from your path. Conquer them with your own strength and don't give up until it works."

Atsuko listened with wide eyes. She began to nod as a small smile bloomed on her lips.

"Thank you, Tsurumaki-san!"

The kunoichi smiled that beautiful smile of hers and patted the girl's head. "Now off with you, you've got an application form to fill!"

Atsuko spun around with a little giggle and began running towards her home. Conquer the obstacles in her path?

She would begin with the signature that she needed from her father. And from there, she would never let anything restrain her ever again.

* * *

_Present Day_

His hands were shaking with the effort to keep his breathing calm. His mind reeling with all the information the Sandaime was sharing with him, he could only stare wide-eyed at the old man while he spoke.

He had come here after spending a whole day mulling over the boy that had attacked him before his meeting with Danzou. The mokuton-user had lodged himself firmly in his mind, urging him to investigate what should have been impossible – the use of the Shodai's kekkei genkai.

It had been almost too easy for him to sneak into the part of the Hokage Tower that archived Konoha's deepest secrets. He had felt no remorse as he put fellow ANBU under a sharingan-reinforced genjutsu, because there was too much that depended on what he might discover. He had felt deep in his core that whatever he found tonight would change every single conviction he had gained after his encounter with the commander of ROOT yet again.

And he was right.

He had been able to confirm his knowledge on the Shodai's kekkei genkai. According to the thick volume in his hands, it was a ninjutsu used by the God of Shinobi and by him alone. It should have gone extinct with his death, but instead a young ANBU in the service of Danzou was here, in Konoha, wielding the mighty power of a god. Did the Sandaime know about this?

Desperate for anything else that might shed light on the mystery of the mokuton user, he had rummaged through countless scrolls and volumes, until he accidentally pullet out an envelope covered with bright red letters that spelled 'TOP SECRET'. He had opened it, only to discover that it was empty.

Frustration had hit him then. He had stood there, rooted to the spot, the flashlight in his mouth illuminating the useless mess he had made on the desk.

He was thoroughly shocked as a pile of papers was flung at him, almost succeeding in hitting him square in the face and scattering on the other documents.

"Looking for this?" a gravelly voice had asked.

Hastily aiming the beam of his flashlight at the source of the voice his one visible eye widened at the sight of Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage.

"Professor!" His training kicked in then, and within the blink of an eye he was kneeling, waiting for further instructions. Or in this case probably an unpleasant interrogation with a subsequent visit to T&I.

"It's alright. I give you permission to read."

Kakashi blinked in surprise but wasted no time in complying. "Hai, sir!"

He determined with a single glance that the documents were scientific reports. While he leafed through them, the Sandaime started to narrate a story that Kakashi had never heard before.

Senju Hashirama's bloodline limit had not only been a singularly powerful ninjutsu but also one of the only two powers that could control a bijuu. With not a single descendant having inherited the ability to reproduce the mokuton, being able to clone his DNA had secretly become a goal for the village administration.

In the following years scientists had unsuccessfully tried to implant it in various experiments approved and encouraged by officials until the body count became too high. Kakashi almost flinched as he skimmed through the descriptions of parasitic Senju tissue going on a rampage in their hosts, tearing shinobi into pieces while they were alive. This resulted in a ban of further research.

"Roughly fifteen years ago, people started disappearing, mostly children of both shinobi and civilian families. Months after the first incidents, corpses bearing traces of experimentations were found. They were identified as similar to marks that were left by implantation of Hashirama Senju's cells." The Sandaime paused.

Kakashi looked up into the eyes of his superior. "Was the person responsible found? How long did their experimentations go?"

"We don't know how many people exactly fell victim to the experiments. But about ten years ago, corpses of children with the telltale damages of transplanted Senju tissue suddenly stopped emerging. There have been adult bodies with the marks of other failed experimentations since then, but it seems like the person has given up on the mokuton project. The body count for it lies at currently at 48, counting only those that were found."

So the person responsible had not been discovered, yet, even ten years after the last victim had been found.

A picture flashed before his inner eye, a boy with a small build, brown hair and ANBU mask on his face, arm outstretched with wood sprouting from his short sleeved jacket. Kakashi suddenly felt himself growing cold as a realization hit him the same moment the Sandaime spoke again.

"If there was even a single survivor" he said, very calmly and eyes focused on the ANBU, "he would be around ten years old now."

* * *

Shisui was sweating profusely. His throat felt as dry as parchment and he desperately wanted to drain his water bottle.

Beside him, Atsuko was panting and sporting a sour look on her face. Her jacket had long been turned into some curious version of a bandana that covered her sweat soaked hair and threatened to slip off whenever she moved her head too much.

Muta was scouting ahead of them. Unbelievably, he still wore his high-collared jacket. While Shisui and Atsuko were slowly and painfully drying out under the hot desert sun, Muta didn't even break a single bead of sweat, hair and skin perfectly unfazed by the climate. He had only smirked when Atsuko had loudly voiced her opinion on the unfairness of it all and indignantly demanded of him to share his secret.

Shisui suspected that the solution to the mystery lay in the symbiotic cohabitation with the kikai bugs, but the Aburame had yet to explain.

They had been at the borders of Wind Country for roughly eight days now but they still hadn't fully adjusted to the harsh conditions. It was not only a matter of the climate but also of the landscape itself that presented innumerable obstacles.

For one, the sand was heavy and hot as hell, getting into places where it didn't belong and sticking there with a vengeance reminiscent of leeches. The powdery substance was everywhere, in their hair, on their weapons and even _under their clothes_. The sheen of dust dulled the colors on them, making them appear like figures on an old, fainted painting that had already seemed dull in the first place. It felt disgusting.

Another thing was the distortion of their sense of direction as they ran by dune after dune. The sandy hills and valleys all looked the same and the team had had to learn to use methods other than going by distinct landmarks to determine their whereabouts. The ability to estimate time and subsequently the cardinal points with the help of any celestial body proved to be an invaluable skill that they all caught up on rather quickly.

They had needed two and a half days to get to the border of Wind and had spent the first five days with survival training and downright cruel workout sessions. Moeru-sensei had openly displayed unholy glee while drilling them and the three genin had not so silently agreed on him being a sadist.

Currently they were in the middle of a simulated mission not unlike a possible second round scenario of the chuunin exams. Moeru-sensei had left them in the middle of the night three days before, taking with him all their food rations and leaving a sheet of paper with orders to retrieve a sealed scroll from point A and to deliver it to point B within three days. Along with the instructions came a simplistic map that marked the two points but not their current location.

They had managed to pinpoint their whereabouts after retracing their steps since crossing River Country. From there it had been relatively easy to determine the direction they had to pursue to get to the scroll. In the end, point A turned out to be under a boulder half a day's journey from the border to Grass Country. Retrieving the scroll had been a pain in the ass with all the nasty traps laid around the hidden spot and miles into their way.

What had not been and still was not easy, however, was the fact that their food was gone and their water supply severely limited. While they solved the first problem with soldier pills, which despite tasting awful and being only a temporary measure were alright for the situation at hand since they only had to last three days, the latter became the most pressing. With the unforgiving sun beating relentlessly on their heads, Team Moeru had had to resort to actions that demanded a great deal of extra effort.

Point A being relatively close to the border of Grass, Muta had taken an educated guess and taken a couple of hours to breed kikaichuu with extreme sensitivity to the odor of water and the ability to dig through sand. He had then sent them to scout for water sources underground. Sure enough, they were lucky and found a spot where the water was not too deeply buried. Once there, Atsuko had used her doton affinity to dig a well into the sand. It hadn't worked on the first try, though, as the sand was so different from the usual earth. They had had to figure out a way to stabilize the sand. In the end, Shisui had melted the walls of the well into glass with his goukakyuu.

They had been very pleased with their solution to the problem as it was a prime example of outstanding teamwork.

So now they had the sealed scroll, full water bottles plus spares and were on their way to the delivery point. While they were racing over the endless expanses of golden sand, Shisui tried to think of more obstacles Moeru-sensei could place in their way. He expected trouble any moment now since it had been too calm a journey ever since they left point A.

Sure enough, just a few minutes later he and Atsuko saw Muta abruptly stopping his run ahead of them. They closed the distance between them and halted beside him. Shisui turned to face his teammate.

"Did you find something?" he asked. He couldn't see anything except for dunes and a lazy hawk drawing circles high up in the sky but that didn't necessarily mean there was nothing.

Muta nodded tersely. "Ahead of us are the ruins of a small village. My bugs could make out signs of habitation, though. I can't tell you an exact number, but I'm guessing not more than five."

Atsuko frowned. "Rogue shinobi?"

"I can't say for sure. Their chakra signatures are muted. They could be either civilians or very skilled shinobi."

The blonde snorted. "Why would there be any civilians in a ruin?"

"It's entirely possible" Shisui remarked. "They could be scientists on an archeological excavation for all we know. But I'd say we stay away from them. Better not take any chances. We'll probably lose some time, but we can just run through the night if we see the slightest possibility that we'll run late. We've also got enough water and soldier pills for another day and by then we'll either have succeeded or failed the mission anyway. We don't need to go there."

Atsuko and Muta nodded in agreement. They set off again after correcting their course, giving the village a wide berth.

* * *

Haruka sat in a wooden chair that faced one of the three walls that were still standing. The Sunagakure symbol, a stylized hourglass, was sloppily painted on it in a garish yellow, the color running down in strands and rivulets that made the symbol appear like it was bleeding. It fit to the kunai that were sticking in the middle of it, forming a straight line and cleanly dissecting it in half.

_Thump_.

Another kunai embedded itself in the brickwork. The red-headed kunoichi sneered inwardly. Her aim had been slightly off, resulting in the blade's position to stick out of the line like a sore thumb.

"You missed."

A kunoichi with dark blue hair had appeared in the space where normally the fourth wall would have been. She had a short haircut like the other woman and leaned casually against the ragged edge of the wall on Haruka's right.

"Still would have killed the target" Haruka snapped.

The other woman smirked and cocked her head to the side. "Chill, sis. Get your head out of your butt and _breath_."

"Shut up, Hikari!"

The addressed person let out a bark of laughter. "Seriously, there's nothing that could go wrong anymore. We've got the scroll, have outrun our pursuers and have arrived here almost without a hitch, not counting that Konoha dumbass who walked right into us. Still wondering what he was doing here all alone anyway?"

Her face adopted a pensive expression as she took a few seconds to contemplate that question. Finally, she shrugged. "All water under the bridge now, since he's as dead the Kazekage's wife. Pity, he was a real cutie with those red eyes and that sexy scar. Not a half-bad shinobi, either. He was doing a great job beating you up before Hitoshi and I arrived, ne?"

"Shut up!" Haruka hissed.

Hikari cackled. "Anyway, what I was going to say was, what could possibly happen now that would prevent us from meeting our contractor and getting rich?"

Without warning, Haruka spun around and flung a kunai at her sister's head. Hikari caught the blade effortlessly between her index and middle finger.

The red-head's eyes were blazing.

"You fool!" she hissed. "There're still too many things that could destroy our efforts, possible backup for that Konoha nin not the last ones on the list!"

In that moment a third figure stumbled into the room. It was a young man with short purple hair. He was panting and had clearly been in a hurry to get here, but he froze upon noticing the tense air between the women.

Haruka didn't avert her eyes from her sister as she addressed her brother. "Report!" she barked.

He fidgeted nervously before he began timidly. "We might have a problem."

"What." Haruka growled. "Spill it. Now."

The young man gulped. "My hawk saw three Konoha nin. They were originally heading in our direction but two miles from here they changed course. They have a scout with them who works with some kind of bugs. I think he sensed us here and his team decided to avoid us."

"Konoha again?" Haruka grated. "The lone nin's backup? What are they doing here?"

"I don't see a problem here." Hikari piped up. "I mean, if they had come for him and thought that he was here they wouldn't have changed course, would they? Maybe they're independent from each other."

Her brother shook his head. "The problem is that now they're headed towards the next Suna patrol, who without doubt is informed about us. They'll ask the Konoha nin if they have noticed something on their way."

"And then they will remember us." Haruka bit her lip.

This was bad.

They couldn't leave this village until they met up with their contractor who would show up no sooner than midnight. But until then the Konoha nin might have talked to the Suna patrol already who would waste no time in hunting them down.

They had no choice but to prevent the foreign team from meeting the Suna nin.

"What's their skill level?" Haruka asked.

"I wasn't close enough to gauge their chakra levels, but they're quite young" the male replied. "Advanced genin to mid-chuunin level perhaps? I can't say with certainty."

"Age says nothing when it concerns Konoha" Hikari casually remarked. "Ever heard about Hatake Kakashi? Fucking prodigy. Became chuunin at six and jounin at twelve."

Haruka dismissed her comment with a wave of her hand. "Prodigies are prodigies because they're not the rule. The chances that there is a genius with them are low and even if they happen to have one, they stand no chance against three jounin like us."

Hikari shrugged. "Whatever you say."

"So what do you suggest, then?" the young man asked. "We just go grab and disappear them?"

Haruka turned her back on her siblings and fired her last two kunai in quick succession. The first knocked the off kunai out of the way as the second hit home, completing the line halving the hourglass. A bunch of genin, chuunin at worst? She looked over at her siblings and grinned devilishly.

"Exactly, Hitoshi. That's exactly what we're gonna do."

* * *

"We're being followed."

Muta had fallen back to his teammates again and was running alongside Shisui. There was a new tenseness in the set of his jaw that spoke volumes to people that could read the usually elusive Aburame. That had Shisui instantly worried.

"How many?"

"Three. They're not masking their chakra and nearing fast."

"Intent?"

"Hostile. Their chakra indicates that all three are at least high-chuunin level, probably even jounin."

"That eliminates the possibility of fighting them. Any chance of outrunning, then?"

Muta shook his head. "I don't think so."

Atsuko swore. "Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Where's Moeru-sensei when we need him?"

Shisui's mind was on overdrive. He was racing through alternative possibilities of how to handle the situation and quickly realizing that they didn't really have a choice. His mouth was dry and his voice the slightest bit unsteady as he spoke.

"We're heading in the direction of Suna now. If we stay on this route we're bound to meet some patrol or post at some point. So, if we manage to arrive there before they catch up on us we have a realistic chance to make it out alive. But that requires time."

Atsuko grimaced. "Great. That's one of those things that we currently don't have. You know, along with luck and other details."

Muta hesitantly nodded in agreement. "That's why we need a decoy."

There was a moment of silence as the implications slowly sunk in.

As he watched Atsuko's eyes widen in realization Shisui could feel the beginnings of terrible, paralyzing nausea to spread from his belly into the rest of the body. He had known that it would have to come to this point from the moment he had opened his mouth for his last comment.

This was what Kushina had warned them of all this time ago, the cruel reality of being shinobi. How to decide if the choice was between sacrificing one of your teammates to assure the survival of the rest of the team or to stand and die together against an overpowering enemy?

They all knew: The one who stayed behind was not likely to survive.

They never stopped running while they were coping with the thought that they would have to send one of them to certain death. Time was running with and passing them, leaving a trail of dread and anxiety in its wake until, finally, Muta broke the silence.

"I will stay behind."

"You can't" Shisui immediately objected. "We need your bugs to guide us to the next Suna nin. I will stay and distract them."

"Don't be stupid!" Atsuko snarled. "You're the fastest of us and we need your speed to get help as fast as possible. We all know that I'm really the most fitting to stay, so don't you belittle me and try to protect me. I'm a kunoichi and not a fucking damsel in distress, for Kami's sake! So get your shit together and let me do my job."

Stunned by Atsuko's outburst Shisui couldn't speak. He eyed his teammate intently. Her sweaty, dust-coated blonde hair, her determined brown eyes, the hard line that were her tightly pressed lips – and in the split second that it took to assess her, it was like seeing her for the first time all over again.

She was right. She didn't deserve to be patronized and was more than worthy of their full trust.

He took a deep breath.

"Okay."

Muta's head snapped around, but before he could utter a single word, Atsuko put her hand on his shoulder and gave a comforting squeeze. "It's alright" she murmured to him.

Her eyes locked with him and Shisui, her gaze true and unwavering. "Okay. I'll catch up to you guys when I'm finished here."

She abruptly turned on her heels and sped away, running in the opposite direction of her teammates.

She didn't look back a single time.

* * *

The petite blonde was calmly watching the approach of the three siblings. They came to a halt as they saw her awaiting them.

Atsuko was in a state of fear and adrenaline induced euphoria. The threat of death had never been so imminent and yet she was so incredibly _excited_. She longed for the thrill of the fight, the chance to finally show the world that she was a strong kunoichi in her own right and, most importantly, to prove her worth to herself. She had a mad grin on her face and licked her lips in anticipation.

Three strong opponents, all at least near jounin level. A tiny part of her wondered if she was insane not to feel at least a little bit more of deadly terror. But the overwhelming other part of her thought it quite fitting. Hadn't they always said that the strange girl with the runaway mother and the alcoholic father was crazy anyway?

Atsuko noticed the hitai-ates with the slashed Suna symbol and broke into a slightly hysterical fit of laughter as she noticed the hair coloring of her enemies. Gasping, she nearly doubled over as she pointed at them with a wide maniacal grin.

"Really? Red, blue and purple? That's hilarious!" She broke down in another laughing fit. That made picking nicknames all the easier.

Blue growled. "This bitch is already pissing me off really badly. I'm going to kill her by strangling her with her own intestines!"

Atsuko's laughter subsided. Still grinning, though, she said "Whoa, calm down, princess. Seriously, didn't anyone ever comment on your ridiculous hair? Did you dye it on purpose or was it an accident?"

"You bitch!" Blue roared. Suddenly, she had a black hand-held battle fan in each hand, the edges of the weapons glinting from the razor sharp metal that formed their frames and ribs.

"You two, go after the other brats! I'll handle this. It will take no time at all."

Red nodded. "Don't play around too much." She turned her head to the sole male in the group. "Let's go, Hitoshi!"

Atsuko narrowed her eyes. "Not so fast."

Red and Purple ignored her and burst forward, arching around Atsuko from two sides and meeting some distance behind her to avoid being both chased.

Unfazed, the blonde lifted her hands in a seal. When the two enemy shinobi were about 70 feet behind her, she muttered "Kai!"

Sand exploded in massive waves as a chain reaction of activated kibakufuda, placed in a barrier of at least 35 feet of width, set blast after blast of shock waves free, raining molten sand and broken rock matter on the two nin who were caught right in the middle. The ensuing cacophony was deafening and sent every pair of ears in a radius of half a mile into a tingling frenzy.

Red barely avoided being ripped into shreds by jumping up high with a massive burst of chakra that boosted her height and speed. She whipped out her giant fan in mid-air, managing to use the hot airstreams of the explosions to her advantage as she sailed through the sky.

Purple was less fortunate, though. He had not been quite fast enough with the summoning of his hawk and as the giant bird lifted him out of the smoke his skin was burnt in an angry blistery red while his right leg was dangling uselessly from his body.

Blue howled in rage and charged directly at the offending blonde. One of her fans was snapped shut, forming a massive steel stick with several sharp ends. She threw it at Atsuko with a powerful thrust and motioned a reinforcing fuuton jutsu with the other, opened fan that lent even more speed and power to the flying projectile.

The fan almost speared Atsuko right through the gut. She barely managed to dodge but the weapon ripped her side wide open.

Blinding pain shot through her body. Her vision went completely white for a moment and she could hear an inhuman scream, realizing only seconds later that it had been herself. She stumbled as she fought to stay on her feet, bent over and panting heavily. Her hands were clutched to her side and she felt gushes of warm blood quell between her fingers. A single thought was coursing through her mind.

'I must not fail my team. I must not fail my team. I MUST NOT FAIL MY TEAM!'

She looked up as two feet planted into her field vision, right into the smirking face of the blue-haired kunoichi.

"Not so cocky anymore, are we?"

Atsuko opened her mouth and felt blood running out from the corners. She stretched her lips into a grin that resembled a grimace, showing off bloodied teeth. A low chuckle escaped her as she saw Blue's face scrunch up in disgust.

"Maybe. But I'm not finished either."

She reached into her pouch and withdrew two shuriken. She threw them at her opponent in fast succession, but in her weakened state the other kunoichi easily dodged them. She was sporting an amused smirk all the while.

It quickly disappeared though, as the shuriken came back from behind her, whirling in a trajectory that was usually impossible to achieve. Blue widened her eyes as realization hit her.

Wire strings.

One of the shuriken was able to trap her remaining fan in a wire grip that split the paper between the metal in the process. With a hard tug at the wire in her hand Atsuko ripped it out of the kunoichi's grasp and flung it away.

Blue managed to avoid the other shuriken though and leapt through the air. She came to a halt ten feet away from the blonde, a murderous look on her face.

Atsuko could feel the strength leaving her, rapidly. She knew that it was only a matter of seconds now until she collapsed. She withdrew a kunai from her pouch and gripped it tightly in her right hand, smiling proudly as she thought about her accomplishments: one seriously injured and not in fighting condition, one at least with impaired hearing. It would have been nice, though, if she had been able to damage the blue bitch.

In that moment her legs gave way under her and she collapsed in a heap on the hot desert sand.

Hikari saw her enemy crumble down and knew that she had won. Out of spite, she wanted to watch the life ooze out of her eyes, so she sauntered up to her motionless form. She crouched down at the girl's side, delighted to still find her conscious and obviously in pain. Leaning down, she brought her mouth to the blonde's ear.

"Die, stupid little girl."

Atsuko summoned the last of her energy as with one swift movement, she plunged the kunai into the woman above her, deeply burying the weapon up to the hilt into her gut. With another jerky movement, she slid her open until she was stopped by the bones of her ribcage.

She couldn't see the incredulous look in her enemy's eyes anymore, nor could she hear the strangled gurgling. Her vision went dark as she let out a soft sigh.

_Eat that, princess_.

* * *

Muta abruptly stopped. Shisui looked back at him as he came to a halt, too.

"I'm going back" his teammate announced.

His first impulse was to argue, his second to agree and go with him. It had been incredibly hard for them to watch Atsuko leave, and he was constantly plagued with the thought that they had sent her to her death. The fact that it had been her choice, too, didn't make it any easier to bear.

Muta watched him from behind plum colored shades. "There's a Suna patrol team half an hour ahead of us. I'll leave you a few of my kikaichuu and command them to guide you. You don't need me anymore and are much faster without me anyway. I'll be of more assistance to Atsuko."

Shisui couldn't find anything to say, so he simply nodded.

"Take care and hurry. We need the help." Muta muttered. He turned and sped away in the opposite direction.

It was the second time within an hour that Shisui had watched a teammate go.

He resumed his journey, following the small cloud of kikai bugs that Muta had left with him.

Shisui didn't need half an hour as he pushed himself to a speed he had never achieved before. 15 minutes after separating with Muta he could see the Suna outpost.

Before arriving, though, a man appeared seemingly from nowhere, halting his run and eyeing him warily. He wore a Sunagakure headband and was clad in the typical Sand attire.

"Name yourself and state your business!" he ordered.

Shisui stood straight and replied. "Uchiha Shisui, genin of Konohagakure. Member of Yuuhi Moeru's team. I'm an ally of Suna and come with an urgent request for help."

There was a short silence as the Suna nin assessed him. For Shisui it felt like eternity until, finally, the man nodded. "Come with me."

They ran towards the outpost which consisted of two buildings that stood around a well, one of them a high tower. He could hear hawks cawing from the top and knew that it had to be some kind of aviary.

He was led into the other building and told to wait in some kind of anteroom. The Suna nin disappeared behind a door to the left side. There were three chairs lined up at the opposite wall but Shisui didn't sit down. He wouldn't sit down until he knew that his team was safe.

Everything that followed was just a blur to Shisui. At some point, the man had come out with his superior who started to interrogate him. He couldn't remember exactly what happened next, just that he explicitly asked for a medic, and suddenly he was out in the desert again, leading a group of four Suna shinobi, including the commander of the outpost, to the place where Muta and he had left Atsuko off.

There must've been a sensor in the team because long before Shisui could see anything the commander ordered for a stop.

"I can make out roughly three chakra signatures" a man with blue face paint reported. "They're fighting."

"Roughly three?" the commander frowned.

"There's something fuzzy that diffuses my sensing. Lots of tiny chakra sources. I wonder if it's a technique?"

"That's my teammate" Shisui spoke up. "He is an Aburame. They use kikai bugs in their fighting style."

The commander nodded in acceptance. "Ok. We move on, but approach the fighting with caution. We don't know what's expecting us."

They continued their run and shortly after, Shisui could see the scene the sensor had described.

Muta was locked in a battle with two shinobi, a red-headed woman and a purple-headed man. The latter was up in the sky, riding on a giant hawk and circling over the bug user, waiting for an opening. The woman held a big battle fan in her hands, fully opened and displaying three circles on the paper.

"That's them, unmistakably." The commander said. "But where's the third?"

'Where's Atsuko?' Shisui thought. 'Why is sensei not here?' He was inching closer and closer to the edge of panic.

Muta chose that moment to launch a new attack at the redhead. A cloud of kikaichuu erupted from the sleeves of his jacket, the bugs forming a solid black mass that headed towards the opponent.

The woman swung her fan and set a massive gust of wind free that dispersed Muta's bugs easily, almost knocking him off his feet. She pressed forward in the shadow of her attack and appeared in front of him just as the wind died down. She lunged with the fan, now folded to function as a massive club.

Muta dodged the attack and the ones that followed. Kunai in hand, he was forced into the defensive by the vicious taijutsu that rained blow after blow on him, the club coming dangerously close to hitting him several times. Taijutsu had never been his forte and he was nearing his limits rapidly.

Seeing the opening he needed, the purple-haired readied a fuuma shuriken and aimed at the Aburame's back, intent on severing his spinal cord.

Shisui saw the metal of the massive weapon glinting in the sun and knew that Muta wouldn't be able to dodge. His insides went cold.

At the speed his group was running now they would never be in time to intercept the projectile.

So Shisui shot forward, in the fastest shunshin he had ever performed.

He felt the rush of chakra as his body _moved_, displacing molecules and creating little pockets of vacuum as he literally cut through the air. His vision shifted and when he suddenly stood back to back with Muta, time seemed to slow down.

He could see every motion with a crystalline precision. Every twitch of muscle instantly seemed to draw his focus and made it possible to predict the movement long before it was executed.

Shisui almost laughed when he saw the purple-haired man throw his weapon, the motion of his arm obscenely large and ridiculously slow.

Instead he inhaled, formed a seal that was second nature to him and breathed fire.

The man on the hawk never stood a real chance as the giant fireball propelled towards him, engulfing him and his summon in white-hot flames and melting the shuriken into a useless lump of metal. They plummeted through the air, both nothing more than chunks of charred meat, emitting smoke into the space around them. They hit the sand with a dull thud.

"HITOSHI!"

The agonized scream had come from the remaining rogue. Shisui turned his head to focus his attention on her.

Her eyes had gone wide in shock at having to watch her brother being viciously burnt alive. She had stopped her attacks on Muta and backed hastily away from the two comrades.

"You monster!" she shrieked. "You fucking monster! Get away from me! Don't look at me! STAY AWAY!"

Shisui felt nothing as he stared hard at the woman who had clearly gone insane. He felt a hesitant tug at the hem of his shirt and turned to look at his friend.

"Shisui" Muta said quietly. "Your eyes."

Shisui blinked. "What."

"I think you've awoken your sharingan."

* * *

Night in Suna was freezing cold.

The chill crept in from the windows and through the walls, under the blankets and clothes and directly into the bones as if it was infused in every particle, every molecule and atom of the village. The cool wan sliver of silvery moonlight did nothing to milden the impression, instead accentuating the hard lines and stark contrasts of the hospital room even further.

Shisui didn't notice the cold, though. He sat motionless in the hospital chair, tightly wrapped in a blanket. His face was half hidden behind it, only revealing his midnight eyes and the short unruly mob of raven hair. His gaze rested on the hospital bed in front of him. It seemed as dead and lifeless as the prone form on the bed.

Atsuko had been nearly dead when they found her lying in a pool of blood beside the corpse of a blue-haired kunoichi who had been confirmed to be the last one of the rogue siblings. Her pulse had been almost nonexistent and it was only thanks to the medic on the Suna team who had carried a reverse summon scroll that she was barely hanging on to life now.

He had been told that by the time they had finally made it to Suna, the blonde had been operated on for hours. Her body had fallen into a coma due to the stress and the doctors didn't know when she would wake up. _If_ she would wake up.

Her face looked peaceful as she lay still in the pristine white sheets of the hospital bed, her blonde hair splayed wildly across the pillow.

Muta was in the room right next to Atsuko's and had sustained some injuries, too: he had suffered two broken ribs and numerous cuts on his body, curtesy of the wind release techniques of the rogue red-head.

Haruka, Hikari and Hitoshi. These were the names of the three jounin that had deserted Suna and attacked them. Shisui had gathered that they were wanted criminals for stealing a scroll with the secret techniques of the Sandaime Kazekage. Two of them were dead now and the last had resigned herself to Suna's interrogators.

The scroll was back in Suna as Haruka had carried it with her but a team was immediately dispatched to try and apprehend the contractor who was due to appear at midnight in the ruins of a small village. Shisui recognized it as the one they had wanted to avoid on their way to their delivery point.

The mission. Shisui still had Moeru-sensei's sealed scroll in his backpack, but they wouldn't make it there anyway.

At first he had been furious whenever he thought of the man. He was supposed to be there when they were in danger. He was supposed to make sure that the training mission stayed safe from third party influences. He was supposed to watch over their progress.

Instead, the situation had escalated horribly and he was nowhere in sight.

The fury had abated, though, making place for worry. It was unlike Moeru-sensei, unlike any Konoha shinobi really, to abandon his team like that. What if something had happened to him?

He must have dozed off at some point then, because the next time he opened his eyes, morning light was streaming through the window.

He stood up from the chair to stretch his stiff muscles. He didn't dare to look at Atsuko in the light of day, as he was too afraid to see her still form. It felt so wrong for her to be silent.

He walked to the window and watched Suna's streets which were slowly filling with people, most of them in Shinobi gear. Shisui imagined they were going after their daily business, nobody aware of the dramatic events that had unfolded the day before.

He felt Muta's chakra signature before he opened the door. He turned from the window and observed his teammate as he entered the room. He widened his eyes as he noticed that he didn't wear his glasses. It was the first time that he saw the eyes of his friend.

Muta stopped at the foot of the bed. For a long moment there was only silence as the Aburame watched Atsuko and Shisui watched Muta, both with faces that were closed off and neither revealing their feelings.

It was the Aburame that broke the silence first.

"Any changes?" he asked, his eyes not leaving the blonde.

Shisui shook his head. He saw the way his teammate's hand gripped the edge of the bed, knuckles white with force and almost shaking. He wondered dejectedly if Muta had forgiven him for letting her go.

His thought was interrupted by Muta's voice. "They've come back half an hour ago."

He looked up to watch Muta's face. "Did they get the contractor?"

"No. He never appeared. He might have been informed about the siblings' failure."

"Damn it."

"They found something else, though." Muta paused and took a shuddering breath.

Shisui felt dread rising in his stomach. Nausea was making it hard to breath and suddenly he knew what Muta was going to say before he opened his mouth to continue.

"There was a Konoha hitai-ate. No body. They say there were traces of a fire."

Heavy silence descended upon them as each of them followed the same train of thoughts.

Moeru had only been with them for eight months, at first as a temporary replacement for a pregnant Kushina, then permanently. He had become as much a part of their team as their former sensei, even if he cultivated the image of a grim loner. Shisui remembered the many occasions he had casually appeared seemingly at random, be it when each member of the team was doing his own business or when they hung out together, only to realize later that it was Moeru's weird, socially impaired way of showing that he cared and had an eye on them. He had never found out why he actually was so socially challenged and now the chance to ask was gone.

First Kushina, then Moeru. Why was it that every sensei they had died a horrible death?

"I don't know" Muta replied softly.

Only then Shisui realized that he had asked the question out loud.

"I don't know why it happens. But I know that I don't want it to happen ever again. For that, I need to become stronger. _We_ need to become stronger." Muta looked away from Atsuko and up into the face of the Uchiha. His eyes were a soulful grey as they watched him unwavering, lending strength to his next words.

"Let's swear to become strong together, Shisui."

Shisui nodded as the tiniest of smiles appeared on his lips. "Yes. Count me in."

* * *

Later that day after Muta had left the room and Shisui had gone back to his own lodgings in a cheap hotel nearby, he sat on the bed and eyed the sealed scroll in his hands.

Today should have been the day on which they successfully finished the mission. Would the scroll have been opened then? Did the content even matter?

Shisui decided to open it and see for himself. Theoretically, one of the goals transporting the scroll was to determine if they could be trusted as unknowing bearers of secret information, but it was over anyway. The scroll was probably empty.

Shisui broke the seal by channeling chakra into it. The scroll unfurled in his lap and revealed another seal.

Although he had next to no knowledge about seals, he recognized it immediately. He had seen the counterpart of it just yesterday when the medic had reverse-summoned himself and Atsuko into the Suna hospital.

Shisui's hand began shaking uncontrollably as he stared unbelieving at the scroll.

_We could have summoned him. He wouldn't have died if we had broken the seal. He could be ALIVE if we hadn't decided to play by the fucking rules!_

It was too much. With a cry of desparate fury he threw the scroll against the wall. He slid from his bed and hit the ground with his knees first. For a moment he stayed upright before collapsing and letting his forehead meet the floor in a dull thud.

A long time passed as he lay there, eyes unseeing.

* * *

**AN****:** I'm really not sure if this chapter turned out alright. Originally I hadn't intended for all the angsty parts but somehow the charcters just took the story and ran away with it. I was really busy trying to catch them. So please tell me what you think about the direction this fic is going. Reviews feed my brain and if you don't talk to me I can't improve.

Peace out.


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